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Ferrari and BMW are now following Tesla, and a growing pack of other carmakers, by swapping copper wiring for aluminium. This isn’t just a technical tweak. Lighter weight, lower prices, and the surge in copper costs are all pushing automakers in this direction. And honestly, it’s starting to reshape how cars get designed, while putting a dent in the world’s copper appetite.
Money drives this shift as much as tech. Copper’s price keeps climbing, which makes the gap between copper and aluminium wider than ever. So, aluminium just looks better for wiring. Sure, aluminium only carries electricity about 61% as well as copper, but automakers can work around that by making the wires a bit thicker and rethinking their cable systems—performance stays about the same.
Ferrari already uses aluminium wiring in its 296 model, saying this switch (along with new cable designs) cut the weight of wiring by 15% to 20%. BMW isn’t new to this either—they started putting aluminium conductors into the 1 Series back in 2011 and now use them in high- and low-voltage systems across their eDrive line.
Tesla really set the standard here. They rolled out aluminium wiring for the Model Y in 2019, then brought it to the Cybertruck. That made it clear: EV makers want lighter cars and simpler manufacturing. Chinese brands like AVATR, XPeng, and Xiaomi are also jumping on board, putting aluminium into their electrical wiring too.
All this goes beyond just car assembly lines. JPMorgan figures this materials swap in autos could hit about 2% of global copper demand this year. Major cable companies like Prysmian and Nexans are already mixing more aluminium into their offerings, balancing both metals as the trend grows. So, even with electrification ramping up, copper’s demand growth in autos might slow down.
Still, aluminium isn’t perfect. It doesn’t conduct electricity well, which means those wires need to be bigger. Plus, switching to aluminium calls for new tools, connectors, and plenty of careful engineering to keep everything reliable. But for now, the payoff in lighter cars, cheaper production, and more flexible sourcing is winning over more manufacturers.
Zooming out—aluminium prices are rising too, driven by supply worries and hot demand from EVs, green power, and industry. That could eat into the cost savings if prices climb much higher. But right now, the momentum’s clear: more aluminium in cars, more redesign work for suppliers, and a slower path forward for copper demand in the auto world.
English (US) ·