Novelis, a world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, has announced that it will supply Nissan with sustainable, lightweight aluminium body sheet for the all-new Qashqai SUV and create a closed-loop recycling system in Europe.

The Nissan Qashqai, a best-selling SUV in the C-segment, will incorporate Novelis aluminium in the bonnet and doors to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency. By using aluminium, the Qashqai has achieved 21kg of the total 60kg of body-in-white weight savings compared to the previous model. This demonstrates the growing trend by many major car makers to increase aluminium adoption in smaller vehicle segments and high volume production models.

Novelis and Nissan say they are also committed to achieving a more sustainable manufacturing process by establishing a closed-loop recycling system. Working together, Novelis will deliver aluminium material from its plant in Nachterstedt, Germany to Nissan's car plant in Sunderland UK, where it will then collect the manufacturing scrap and return it to Novelis recycling centres in Europe to be cast and rolled again for production by Nissan. This process creates a circular supply chain that helps both companies achieve their sustainability goals.