Ford is making aluminum pickup trucks

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Ford's new aluminum-sided F-150 will reach car dealerships in the U.S. next month.

Switching from steel to aluminum will apparently make the cars lighter and more fuel-efficient. The move is a risky one, though — it could either "set a new industry standard, or cost the company its pickup truck crown," The Associated Press reports.

While the new cars promise better fuel efficiency, consumers may also be concerned about aluminum's durability and potential repair costs, AP notes. F-series trucks, the top-selling vehicles in America for 37 years, account for 90 percent of Ford's profits, according to estimates from Morgan Stanley. Last year, Ford made one F-150 every 49 seconds at its two U.S. plants.