| Abstract Scope |
Sustainability has become a primary driver of changes in automotive design, as countries tighten emissions requirements and broader sustainability targets. To meet the EU goal of climate neutrality by 2050, automakers have spent the past two decades reducing greenhouse gas output both by improving near-term fuel efficiency through mass reduction and accelerating investment in electric vehicle technologies.
To cut emissions in the near term, the industry is prioritizing weight reduction without sacrificing passenger safety or manufacturability, using approaches such as advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and multi-material lightweighting that combines AHSS. These material shifts are also changing how structures are joined. Mixed material designs increasingly rely on non-fusion welding methods to support joining dissimilar material combinations. As alternative lightweight materials continue to expand, joining methods have evolved further. In this talk a review of the predominant joining methods in use today and outlines likely trends based on projected material usage |