Automakers are already under a ton of heat, and it’s only going to increase. Cut weight! Less maintenance! Make it quiet! Make it last! Better fuel economy! Build faster! This is quite a laundry list of demands on modern vehicles, and many of them are contradictory. It’s not easy to lightweight vehicles for fuel efficiency — perhaps by trading in steel for more plastics and aluminum — while simultaneously reducing cabin noise and making it all more durable than before.(…)
