Whether you're a fan of where modern cars are headed or not, everyone can agree that they could improve in two areas: cost and weight. Both have been on the rise in all new cars, but are especially prevalent in electric cars and hybrids. They're full of heavy, expensive electrical components. There's no singular solution to the problem, but some automakers have hit upon a solution that can simultaneously make a car lighter and cheaper to make, and it has to do with what they make the wiring from.

 

According to Reuters more and more automakers are starting to use aluminum for the conductive material in their vehicles' wiring. It's not necessarily the newest technology, as the outlet reports that Tesla started using it in 2019, and BMW even dabbled as early as 2011, but it's becoming more common. The latter has been increasing its usage, and Ferrari started using it last year in the 296 GTB and now in the Luce. Chinese automakers including Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Avatr are using the metal, too.