Next Toyota Camry to use aluminum body panels

Following several other automakers, Toyota is turning to aluminum to make its vehicles lighter. Next year, the 2016 Lexus RX 350 crossover will become the company's first model with an aluminum hood and liftgate built in North America, while in 2018 the popular Toyota Camry sedan will get an aluminum hood as well.

It appears the aluminum sheet will come from a joint venture between Kobe Steel and Toyota Tsusho Corp., a trading company affiliated with Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota will be among the venture's first customers, several sources confirmed.

Talks on site selection and final details for the joint venture are expected to conclude this month. The plant will be able to produce 100,000 tons of aluminum sheet annually.

"Toyota has plans to use aluminum on future vehicles for hood, closures and parts for lightweighting," said spokeswoman Jana Hartline. "Also, we will increase usage of mix metals and resin materials to enhance lightweighting efforts."

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