Manufacturers embrace Advanced High Strength Steels as a cost-effective way to satisfy functional and regulatory requirements. The following are just a few examples where automakers have attributed improved performance and lightweighting due to the use of these advanced steels.
KIA EV9
The Kia EV9, Kia’s first three-row electric flagship SUV, is based on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). (Citation K-XX) Kia EV9 won the 2024 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™ (NACTOY) Award (Citation K-NAC), and was named a 2024 Top Safety Pick by IIHS, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (Citation K-IIHS). Kia deployed hot stamped parts in the passenger safety cage for enhanced passenger protection and crash energy management. (Citation K-FF)
Figure 1: Hot stamped parts increase the average tensile strength in the 2024 Kia EV9
Tesla Cybertruck and Model Y
Much press has been given to the “ultra-hard stainless steel” used on the Cybertruck skin panels (Citation T-XX), but there are several high strength and advanced high strength steel parts on the vehicle as well. According to the Cybertruck Collision Repair Manual (Citation T-CRM), Tesla defines mild steel as having a tensile strength less than 270 MPa. The tensile strength of high strength steels ranges from 300 MPa to 700 MPa. Ultra high strength steels are those with a tensile strength greater than 800 MPa. Figure 2 presents a breakdown of materials used in the body structure.
Figure 2: Cybertruck Body Materials. Dark blue = mild steel; yellow = high strength steel; red = ultra high strength steel; orange = stainless steel. (Citation T-CRM)
A video by Munro Live with Lars Moravy, Tesla’s Head of Vehicle Engineering, shows that the Cybertruck body side inner is formed from a laser welded press hardened steel.(Citation M-CBR) An interview with Thomas Ausmann, former global advanced manufacturing technical advisor at Tesla, confirms that Tesla hot stamps the double-door rings, which represents the first hot-stamped part that Tesla had ever produced internally at any of its plants. (Citation B-XX) Figure 3 shows a Cybertruck hot-stamped body side inner.
Figure 3: The Cybertruck double door ring made from a laser welded blank is the first hot stamped part that Tesla ever produced internally at any of its plants (Citation B-XX, Citation M-CBR)
The Model Y Collision Repair Procedures Manual (Citation T-MY-CRM) highlights that there are several ultra high strength steel parts in the body structure. Another video from Munro Live (Citation M-MY) confirms that the ultra high strength steel in the body side aperture is press hardened, hot stamped steel. Simwon NA is the likely supplier of these hot stamped parts. (Citation T-S-XX)
Figure 4: Press Hardened Hot Stamped Steel in the Model Y Body Side Outers and Inners. Dark blue = mild steel; yellow = high strength steel; red = ultra high strength steel. (Citation T-MY-CRM)
Li Auto L8
The Li L8 is a luxury range-extended battery electric SUV equipped with an autonomous driving system produced by Chinese manufacturer Li Auto. Hot-formed steel is used in safety-critical areas such as the A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar, door sills, and door intrusion beams, accounting for 28.9% of the entire body-in-white, with high strength steels accounting for over 75% of the body structure. Hot-formed steel parts are shown in red in Figure 5, with ultra high strength steel shown in yellow, high strength steel shown in dark gray, and mild steel parts colored in blue. (Citation Li8)
Figure 5: Nearly 30% of the Li Auto L8 body-in-white is made from Hot Stamped Press Hardened Steels. (Citation Li8)
Honda Civic
The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, based on the 11th Generation Honda Civic platform launched for the 2022 model year, uses high strength and advanced high strength steel throughout their Next-Generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. Honda defines high-strength steel (HSS) as any steel with a tensile strength of 340 MPa or higher. Ultra-high-strength steels (UHSS) are those with a tensile strength of 980 MPa or higher. (Citation H-BRM)
Figure 6: The body construction of the 2025 Honda Civic uses high-strength steel and advanced high-strength steel for enhanced passenger protection. (Citation H-XX)
Nissan Rogue
The 3rd Generation Nissan Rogue, launched for the 2021 Model Year, makes extensive use of advanced high strength steels, including 3rd Gen AHSS.
Nissan deploys AHSS grades for 35% of the body structure, an increase of more than 10% compared to the prior version. (Citation N-LL). Hot stamped press hardened steels, not used in the prior model, helps this Nissan Rogue achieve improved safety, fuel efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Figure 7 shows how various steel grades are deployed in the body structure.
Figure 7: Nissan Rogue Body-in-White Uses Press Hardened Steels and 3rd Generation Advanced High Strength Steel Grades. (Citation N-LL)
The Rogue’s B-pillar is cold stamped from a tailor welded blank of super high formable 980 (SHF 980) and super high formable 1180 (SHF 1180) steel, allowing Nissan to realize the same benefits of hot stamping at a much higher productivity, as highlighted in Figure 8 (Citation N-LL). Both of these super high formable grades can be considered 3rd Generation Advanced High Strength Steels. (See the information on the 2018 Infinity QX50 SUV here) .
Figure 8: The Nissan Rogue uses a laser welded blank formed from two 3rd Generation Advanced High Strength Steels. (Citation N-LL)
A critical enabling technology in the use of SHF 980 and SHF 1180 is the development of design guidelines for welding stacks that include those materials. These guidelines use weld gun control and panel positioning to prevent unneeded additional tensile stress in the weld stack. (Citation N-RogueOne) Minimizing the tensile stress in the weld stack helps address the risk of liquid metal embrittlement as does extending the hold time portion of the spot weld cycle in order to lower the temperature prior to releasing the electrodes. (Citation N-LL)
Chevrolet Blazer EV
The Chevrolet Blazer EV is built on the same architecture as the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Honda Prologue, Acura ZDX EV, among others. (Citation C-BEV)
Fifteen percent of the body structure are ultra high strength steels, including multiphase, martensitic, and 3rd Generation Steels having a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa. An additional 11% are stamped from press hardened steels. The breakdown of the Blazer EV body structure is shown in Figure 9.
Regarding the battery pack, part of the General Motors battery management system known as the Rechargeable Energy Storage System (RESS), 43% of the all-steel construction is made from grades with tensile strength of at least 980 MPa. (Figure 10).
Instead of using press hardening steels for the B-pillar, General Motors stated that there was a cost savings in addition to a mass savings by using 3rd Generation AHSS in this application. This required development of a material grade specification capable of use globally, along with forming and welding practices for robust production. (Figure 11).
Figure 9: 35% of the Chevrolet Blazer EV body structure is made from Advanced High Strength Steels with a tensile strength of at least 590 MPa. (Citation C-BEV)
Figure 10: 43% of the Chevrolet Blazer EV Rechargeable Energy Storage System structure is made from Advanced High Strength Steels with a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa. (Citation C-BEV)
Figure 11: Use of 3rd Generation Advanced High Strength Steels in the B-Pillar of the Chevrolet Blazer EV led to cost savings and mass savings while maintaining crash and safety performance. (Citation C-BEV)
KIA EV9 Citations
Citation K-XX: Kia EV9 Reshapes SUV User Experience with Superior Design and Technology, Press Release, March 29, 2023, Available from https://www.kianewscenter.com/vehicles/ev9
Citation K-NAC: “North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ Officers Reveal Award Winners for 2024,” January 4, 2024, North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ (NACTOY). Available from https://northamericancaroftheyear.org/nactoy-2024-winners/
Citation K-IIHS: “2024 Kia EV9,” Vehicle Ratings, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Available from https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/kia/ev9-4-door-suv/2024
Citation K-FF: “The Kia EV9 Facts & Figures Guide,” Kia Available from https://www.kia.com/content/dam/kwcms/kme/se/sv/assets/contents/utility/specifications/ev9/kia-ev9-keyfacts.pdf
TESLA CYBERTRUCK AND MODEL Y CITATIONS
Citation T-XX: World Intellectual Property Organization Patent Filing WO2023023083 – Ultra-Hard Cold-Worked Steel Alloy, Filed 23 February 2023, Tesla, Inc. Available from https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2023023083
Citation T-CRM: “Body Structure Materials and Allowed Operations” section in the Cybertruck “Collision Repair Manual,” Tesla, 2024 Available from https://service.tesla.com/docs/Cybertruck/BodyRepair/BodyRepairProcedures/en-us/GUID-B4A61C9E-4CE2-4D9A-B9B3-B6D74EEFE038.html
Citation M-CBR: Munro Live, “Tesla Manufacturing: See how the Cybertruck HFS Panels are Blanked, Bent, and Built!,” December 18, 2023. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFgGnhRZarY
https://youtu.be/GFgGnhRZarY?t=1340
Citation B-XX: K. Bachman, “10 Questions for Thomas Ausmann—Q&A on Hot Stamping,” 8 February 2024, MetalForming Magazine, available from https://www.metalformingmagazine.com/article/?/end-market/automotive/10-questions-for-thomas-ausmann-q-a-on-hot-stamping
Citation M-MY: Munro Live, “Model Y E37: Body Structure Internals Revealed, Hot Formed Steel, SPR’s and More,” May 11, 2020. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E790mAMx4Yw
Citation T-MY-CRM: “Body Structure Materials and Allowed Operations” section in the “Model Y Collision Repair Procedures Manual,” Tesla 2024. Available from https://service.tesla.com/docs/BodyRepair/Body_Repair_Procedures/Model_Y/HTML/en-us/GUID-B4A61C9E-4CE2-4D9A-B9B3-B6D74EEFE038.html
Citation T-S-XX: Yang Tae Hoon, “Myoung Shin to start Texas factory to meet Tesla demand,” 2021.12.09, Thelec.net. Available from https://thelec.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=3667
Li8 CITATIONS
Citation Li8: Jiang Xiaohei, “Li Auto’s L8 Pro Surpasses L9 as Top Safety-Tested SUV: Discover the Ultimate Driving Protection, “ May 8, 2023, 42HOW.com. Available from https://en.42how.com/2023/05/08/li-autos-l8-pro-surpasses-l9-as-top-safety-tested-suv-discover-the-ultimate-driving-protection/
HONDA CIVIC CITATIONS
Citation H-XX:
“Information for First & Second Responders Emergency Response Guide For Vehicle: 2025 Civic Hybrid, Version 1,” American Honda Motor Co., Inc., 2024. Available from https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/web/AEG26065.pdf
Citation H-BRM: “2022 Civic Model Series: New Body Repair Information,” Honda Body Repair News, June 2024, 26064 Version 3, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Available from https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/web/ABRN16559.PDF
NISSAN ROGUE CITATIONS
Citation N-RogueOne: D. LaChance, “Nissan Rogue makes greater use of AHSS, aluminum body panels to reduce mass, June 1, 2022. Available from https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2022/06/01/nissan-rogue-makes-greater-use-of-ahss-aluminum-body-panels-to-reduce-mass/
Citation N-LL: J. Lyman and W. Lawson, “All New Nissan Rogue,” Great Designs in Steel, 2022, Sponsored by American Iron and Steel Institute. Available from https://www.steel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Track-1-Session-2-Lyman-and-Lawson-Nissan.pdf
NOTE: In the past, we’ve copied GDIS presentations onto our website and had these citations link to our website instead of the copy on AISI’s website. This was done with the permission of AISI.
CHEVROLET BLAZER EV CITATIONS
Citation C-BEV: “H. Eiliat, Chevrolet Blazer EV Body Structure,” Great Designs in Steel, 2024, Sponsored by American Iron and Steel Institute. Available from https://www.steel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/FINAL-2024-Blazer-EV-Structure-GDIS-May-22-2024-Dr-Hoda-Eiliat-for-publication.pdf
NOTE: In the past, we’ve copied GDIS presentations onto our website and had these citations link to our website instead of the copy on AISI’s website. This was done with the permission of AISI.