New Ford Super Duty to be made of aluminum

Dearborn — Ford Motor Co. executives said Monday the next-generation Super Duty pickup will be made with an aluminum body, similar to the 2015 F-150 that will debut later this year.

Raj Nair, Ford’s head of product development, announced Ford’s second aluminum-body vehicle at its investor day in Dearborn.

Due largely to its aluminum body, the new 2015 F-150 will weigh about 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor.

Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas, said the automaker’s Dearborn Truck Plant changeover to make the aluminum-bodied truck is complete after a month-long downtime as new equipment was installed. Hinrichs said sheet metal began running through the plant this week.

Media is currently test-driving the new truck in Texas, and it should hit showrooms by the end of the year.