The air-conditioning system if replaced with more advanced designs such as in the compressor which have lighter yet more efficient cooling capability also lowers weight considerably. High strength steel along with advanced adhesives is making thinner sheets of metals perform better as heavier and thicker traditional ones.
One of the heaviest parts of the car asides from the engine is the transmission and power train systems, could be moved to the engine compartment with the conversion of the throttle to a digital along with lighter alloy velocity joints would decrease weight more. All these changes could lower the weight of a car by more than 40 lbs. with a change of wheels from traditional steel ones to aluminum alloys adding 22 lbs to that figure amounting to a total savings of almost 60lbs. Now that’s a lot of weight shaved off a car and that would allow better, more efficient use of expensive fuel. Hybrids would also benefit from all these changes as well as regular cars.
The need for changes such as these is necessary as people want more and more savings in terms of fuel consumption and the ability to shift to hybrids. Experts just wish they had grown with the airline industry that has the best people to ask when it comes to weight to power ratios. With the price of oil at all time high’s the need for more efficient cars with less emissions is the best solution to a growing problem all of us have to face.