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Posted in partnership with A Girls Guide To Cars and SMDI
WARNING – my favorite time of year is here and there will be many, many cars in my feed(s) over the next week! The Chicago Auto Show is rolling into town this week to the McCormick Center and I couldn’t be happier! This year I am partnering with A Girls Guide To Cars and Steel Market Development Institute and they have an awesome giveaway for y’all – so keep reading to grab a chance to win $100 Amazon Gift Card and 2 Tickets to the Chicago Auto Show!
I haven’t missed CAS in over 5 years and I am super excited to see all the pretty cars again this year.
Why do I LOVE the Chicago Auto Show?
Besides getting a first look at all the brand new shiny cars coming to the market, I also get to meet and greet the manufacturers and get the low down straight from the source. Since you can’t buy a car during the show there is no pressure and you will learn a lot more at the show than you would researching the internet or heading to a dealership.
It’s fun and exciting to see how invested the car manufacturers are about their product. They will not hesitate to tell you all you need to know about their cars, answer your questions and show you all the new features.
What am I excited to learn at the Chicago Auto Show?
One of the things that grab my interest the most when it comes to cars is the materials that are used to produce the car and add layers of safety. Over the past few years, I have done a ton of research because I want to be making great choices that have the least amount of environmental footprint, save me money and keep my family safe. It’s one of the reasons I partnered with Kia and have been singing their praises over the past year. The 2017 model of the Kia Sorento I am currently driving is made up of 53% of high strength steel. It’s built not only to prevent accidents but withstand them. I have never felt as safe in a car as I do with the Sorento.
Materials matter when it comes to making an educated choice when you are buying a car.
Steel vs Other Materials
As fuel economy and safety regulations increase so does the need for new and improved materials. The North American steel industry is meeting these needs through the development of new, advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) grades, whose unique properties and manufacturability enable the automotive industry to meet increasingly stringent requirements.
No materials offer the complete package like steel – strength, lightweight, sustainability, superior performance, and value.
Steel offers the largest range of strength levels compared to other materials giving it significant advantages in product applications and in manufacturing, especially joining.
- There are more than 200 grades of steel, ranging in strength levels of 200 MegaPascals(MPa) to more than 1900 MPa.
- At the same strength level, steel is more formable than aluminum.
- AHSS is used in a number of new applications, and the results are showing improved vehicle performance in fuel efficiency, affordability, durability,and quality.
- In the past 10 years, AHSS have proven mass reductions of 25 percent or more, sufficient to meet the future fuel economy targets for the majority of vehicles.
How does this benefit consumers?
- Cost. Aluminum is two to three times more expensive than steel. Automakers who choose to stick with steel are able to maintain their existing manufacturing infrastructure. It costs money to upgrade their facilities to accommodate aluminum production. Cost of ownership is also lower, including purchase price, insurance and repair are lower for steel-intensive vehicles than alternate material-intensive vehicles.
- Green & Recyclable. Steel is recycled more than all other materials combined. Steel is magnetic, making it easily and affordably recycled. Because of steel’s physical properties, one product can be recycled into another without loss of quality, contributing to its high recycling rate.
- Strength (which equals safety). Combining AHSS with new evolving manufacturing processes will enable engineers to apply thinner steels to produce lighter-weight parts while maintaining or improving structural performance.
- Performance. The variety of AHSS grades allows automakers to use the right grade in the right application for exceptional occupant protection, crash energy management and durability.
The strength of steel and the affordability has become a deciding factor in my family’s car purchases and I can’t wait to see what car manufacturers have to show us this year.
Now for the giveaway!!!!!
Enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card and 2 tickets to the Chicago Auto Show!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Contest rules: Entries must be completed by Feb 8th, 2018. No purchase necessary; contest open only to US residents and subject to the laws of Illinois. Winners will be notified by email by Feb. 10th, 2018. Winners MUST pick up tickets in person at the Chicago Auto Show, McCormick Place between January 20Feb. 10, 2018, and Feb. 19, 2018. Winners may be asked to provide identification to receive their prize. Prize value $30 per prize, not exchangeable for cash or other items. Grand prize value is $130. A total of 10 pairs of tickets will be awarded and a total of 1 grand prize will be awarded.
