In producing the aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 half-ton pickup, the automaker uses a closed-loop recycling process to repurpose as much as 20 million pounds of excess aluminum every month.
In theory, that’s enough to make an additional 30,000 Ford F-150 SuperCrew truck bodies.
According to Ford, recycled aluminum cuts out up to 95 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that come with primary aluminum production, using far less energy – and water. Roughly 30 to 40 percent of the aluminum coil from which the Ford F-150 is stamped becomes scrap, meaning there is a lot of excess material to be scavenged.
Of course, the eco-friendliness of Ford’s closed-loop aluminum recycling process is complimented by the truck’s light weight and concurrent fuel efficiency. The 700-pound weight-reduction achieved by the 2015 Ford F-150 versus its predecessor goes a long way toward improving fuel economy, and when powered by the available 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine with standard Auto Start-Stop, the F-150 4×2 offers an EPA-estimated 22 miles-per-gallon combined.
Happy Earth Day, Earthlings.
No Comments yet