Lightweighting Enters a New Era as Hybrids Surge

Hybrid sales surge is reshaping materials strategy, pushing automakers toward flexible platforms and cost-smart lightweighting

18 Jun 2025

Hybrid vehicles are regaining momentum in North America, prompting carmakers and materials suppliers to reconsider how vehicles are engineered and where capital is deployed. The shift is reshaping lightweighting strategies across the automotive supply chain.

US hybrid sales rose by more than 50 per cent in 2023 compared with the previous year, with demand remaining firm into 2024. Higher vehicle prices, elevated interest rates and uneven charging infrastructure have slowed the uptake of fully electric models. For many consumers, hybrids offer improved fuel efficiency without full dependence on charging networks, a balance that is now influencing corporate planning.

Rather than prioritising expensive materials tailored to dedicated electric platforms, manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on solutions that deliver steady weight reduction within existing production systems. This has reinforced demand for advanced high-strength steels, aluminium and selective composite materials.

Producers are adjusting accordingly. Steelmakers such as SSAB are expanding low-emission and recycled offerings, positioning weight reduction alongside safety and environmental performance. Aluminium groups are investing in higher recycled content and closed-loop supply models in an effort to manage costs and emissions while meeting automakers’ sustainability targets.

Platform flexibility has also become a central concern. Carmakers are increasing investment in vehicle architectures capable of supporting internal combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains with limited redesign. Such flexibility helps manage uncertainty over consumer demand and reduces development risk. It also encourages earlier collaboration between manufacturers and materials suppliers, allowing material selection to shape design from the outset.

Many analysts view hybrids as a transitional technology. They allow carmakers to cut fleet emissions in the near term while battery costs decline and charging networks expand. In this environment, lightweight materials remain critical, though their value is measured not only by performance but also by cost and manufacturability across different powertrain options.

Questions remain over whether hybrid growth could slow full electrification, and whether shifting material demand will strain supply chains. For now, investment continues to favour adaptable, lower-risk solutions that address current market conditions while preserving longer-term options for the industry.