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The Pininfarina Bluecar was developed by the renowned automobile designer Pininfarina and the French industrial group Bolloré. The prototype was released in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show. The first series with around 3,000 vehicles was created in 2011.

All side wall modules are made of aluminum sheet, manufactured by Hydro on automotive line 2 in the Grevenbroich rolling mill. For optimal recycling after the decommissioning, only one alloy was used for all aluminum parts in the Bluecar: AA 6016, T4.


"It's great that we're at Bluecar and Autolib," says Stéphane Texier, who works as Hydro's sales manager for automotive sheet metal in Paris. He has often seen a Bluecar on the road, how the compact four-seater rolls quietly across the boulevards, completely without exhaust fumes ... So the Bluecars are now part of the appearance of the Seine metropolis with its millions of inhabitants and millions of visitors to buy. The entire Bluecar fleet is used in Paris for the new car sharing system Autolib, which started operating in December 2011. It follows the concept of Vélolib: This Paris bike rental system has 20,000 bicycles at more than 1,200 stations in the French capital, whether for short tours or longer use.


300 km without charging "Above all, we are pleased to be able to supply the material for essential body components as the sole partner," says Texier. "Because the outer skin is not overpainted in color, our contribution even remains visible, and the Bluecar shines in a cool aluminum look" - as with the legendary Mercedes "Silver Arrows", which caused a sensation in the 1930s and 1950s with "bare" aluminum surfaces and numerous Won motor racing races. If the vehicle parts remain free of paint, they are also easier to replace: If a component is damaged after minor accidents or due to graffiti, the bonnet can be replaced at every Autolib station within a few minutes.

“The Bluecar series is a good next step in our efforts to help the automotive industry develop efficient electric automobiles. It illustrates the growing importance of aluminum solutions for the mobility of tomorrow, even if drive sources and usage concepts change, ”says Pascal Wagner, head of the Litho, Automotive & amp; Heat exchanger in the Hydro rolling division.

The customer Bolloré is also satisfied and has already ordered from Hydro all the additional 200 tons of aluminum sheet that he needs to build more Bluecars this year.

This second Bluecar generation is being optimized and should save more than 50 kilograms compared to the 130 kg steel substructure. Texier: “For 2013 we are expecting a bare body weight of only 200 kg. The vehicle thus extends its range from 250 km to 300 km without further charging. That would be unique in Europe. ”On top of that, even the aluminum surface should be improved further and then be touched even more beautifully. Hydro is also working on e-mobility in another way. The Rolled Vision team developed a special aluminum foil for the necessary batteries. Hydro is also involved with Volkswagen, Ford and twelve other institutions in the “LIGHT e-BODY” project to develop a particularly light body for electric vehicles.

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This text is machine translated. To view the original German text, click on DE on the top right of this window

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