GM Putting Cash Into NanoSteel

By Christian Moe on Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

The automotive realm has been in a race to develop the most advanced lightweight materials money can buy, all thanks to new and stricter CAFE standards. Aluminum alloys and carbon fiber have been popular choices, but they carry a significant cost compared to steel. Well a new contender has stepped up to provide relief, NanoSteel.

NanoSteel has developed new and patented alloys that have created a new class of steel. These new metals allow for stronger, lighter structures to be used, and can be pressed using traditional machines. This means there is little to no extra overhead for manufacturers to use the new NanoSteel products.

GM has been so impressed with what NanoSteel has been able to accomplish that its investment arm, GM Ventures, has invested in the company.

“We are investing in NanoSteel because of the opportunity associated with their new steel alloy technology,” said Jon Lauckner, GM’s chief technology officer, vice president of Global R&D and president of GM Ventures LLC. “Over the next several years, light-weighting of vehicles will be a major focus area to improve fuel economy. NanoSteel’s nano-structured alloys offer unique material characteristics that are not available today, making them a potential game-changer.”

Hopefully we will see the fruit of this partnership soon with lighter, stronger and more efficient vehicle on the horizon.

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