Constellium will be supplying aluminum structural components for the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning, which will be available Spring 2022. The F-150 Lightning, like other F-Series pickup trucks, extensively uses high-strength aluminum alloys. The structural components Constellium is providing for the F-150 Lightning include the windshield header, rocker, radiator support, and other unspecified parts.
“Constellium is proud to supply the electric Ford F-150 Lightning with recyclable aluminum and to contribute to Ford’s commitments to sustainability,” said Philippe Hoffmann, President of Constellium’s Automotive Structures & Industry business unit. “Aluminum is the metal of choice for electric vehicles and our light, strong, crash- and intrusion-resistant solutions help make electric vehicles safe and more sustainable.”
Sustainable Manufacturing
Ford is building the all-electric Lightnings at its new state-of-the-art Rouge Electric Vehicle Center at the storied Rouge complex in Dearborn, MI. The zero waste-to-landfull site will employ advanced sustainable manufacturing technology to build the truck as part of Ford’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050. The new manufacturing plant is providing 500 new jobs to the area and is part of a $700 million investment to expand production. The new jobs will support battery assembly and production of the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid and fully electric F-150.
“For both Ford and the American auto industry, F-150 Lightning represents a defining moment as we progress toward a zero-emissions, digitally connected future,” said Bill Ford, executive chair, Ford Motor Company. “F-Series is America’s best-selling truck for 44 years, the backbone of work across the country, and a trusted icon for generations of customers. Now we are revolutionizing it for a new generation.”
F-150 Lightning is a pillar of the company’s more than $22 billion global electric vehicle plan to lead electrification in areas of strength. Consequently, Ford is starting with zero-emissions versions of its most popular and best-loved franchises — Mustang, Transit, and F-150 — with more to come in the years ahead.
Constellium in Auto
Headquartered in Paris, France, Constellium manufactures body structure components and crash management system from its plant in Van Buren, Michigan, with auto body sheet provided by its Bowling Green, Kentucky, facility. According to the company, it has delivered more than 50 million components for Ford’s aluminum-intensive trucks and SUVs since 2015.
Constellium is a full-service supplier of rolled and extruded aluminum for the global automotive market. Aluminum components offer the strength and stiffness needed for body structure applications while saving weight and integrating multiple parts into single pieces to reduce complexity and assembly time. In addition to the F-150 Lightning, F-150, and Super Duty trucks, the company also supplies aluminum components and auto body sheet for ten other Ford and Lincoln models.