Chrysler LLC believes it has a jump on the competition in reducing vehicle weight, thanks to a new approach in body engineering the auto maker says will begin to pay big dividends in cars and trucks slated to hit the market in the next three to five years. The new holistic approach to body-in-white (BIW) engineering was developed by Chrysler and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz and MBTech in collaboration with the American Iron and Steel Institute and promises to cut the weight of a vehicle's "structural backbone" some 13%. Driving the push to reduce BIW mass and improve structural integrity are upcoming safety standards to protect against side impacts and rollovers, as well as growing pressure from consumers and regulatory agencies to boost fuel economy.
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