The Benefits of Aluminum Wire

The Benefits of Aluminum Wire

May 3, 2017

#General 

 

Aeromotive will be receiving our 1.25 mm² (16AWG) in March. These days, a typical luxury car is veined front to rear with miles of electrical cables. Even a compact car can have more than a mile of wire snaking through it. With the advent of connected cars, advanced safety systems and autonomous driving, demand for wiring is set to explode. A large premium sedan can be packed with up to 12,000 feet of cable weighing as much as 110 pounds.

The wiring harness typically is the second heaviest part of a car after the engine. Aluminum reduces weight of wiring systems by 48%. Switching from copper to aluminum helps save weight and trims costs. On the other hand, aluminum doesn’t conduct power as well and typically needs thicker wire to do so. Aluminum is also less flexible than copper. Breakthroughs have come through devising different aluminum alloys that have the best qualities of both metals.