North American demand to exceed $30 billion in 2018 Demand for lightweight automotive materials in the North American (NA) light vehicle market is anticipated to reach 22 billion pounds in 2018, valued at more than $30 billion. Advances will significantly outpace gains in automotive materials overall, with regulatory pressure being the major force propelling growth. The current race to lighten the automobile is largely being driven by the increasingly strict fuel economy standards being adopted throughout North America. In August 2012, the US issued new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for model year 2017- 2025 light-duty vehicles, with a nominal requirement of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Canada and Mexico have previously implemented standards aligned with US CAFE requirements, and are expected to do so going forward, as they seek to establish continent-wide regulations to ensure that their respective automotive industries remain competitive. Lightweighting key to ...