China's automotive industry is transforming faster than observers can keep up with. While discussions revolve around the quality of galvanization and the thickness of the paint coating, companies such as BYD, NIO, Chery, and Geely are steadily switching body elements to aluminum. The list of models with such solutions is expanding literally every month.
The explanation is obvious — the growth of the electric vehicle segment. A traction battery weighs from 400 to 600 kg, and every kilogram saved in the structure turns into additional kilometers of range on a single charge. Compared with steel, an aluminum body is 25–30% lighter. Without this difference, an electric car loses a noticeable part of its efficiency.
In December 2025, Hantek unveiled a monolithic aluminum frame with an area of 4.2 m², cast entirely using the low-pressure method. The structure is made as a single piece, while the thickness of its walls varies from 4 to 50 mm depending on the load borne by a specific section.
The first production car to receive such a frame was the BYD Yangwang U8 L. The model entered the market in September 2025 at a price of 1.28 million yuan.
NIO's approach is even more radical: the body and chassis of the NIO ES8 are made entirely of aluminum. Moreover, a 7000-series aerospace-grade alloy is used.
The Chery Tiggo eQ7, which is planned for launch on the Russian market, also received a body with partial use of aluminum. And the Lynk & Co 09 is already supplied with an aluminum hood instead of a steel one.
The development vector is obvious. However, when buying a car, few people think about the cost of maintaining such a light and outwardly flawless body.
Indeed, aluminum is not susceptible to classic rust. But it has another, more insidious enemy. When aluminum and steel parts come into contact in humid conditions, a process known as galvanic corrosion begins. Chemists describe its essence through the transfer of electrons between metals.
In such a pair, aluminum acts as the anode, gives electrons to steel, and gradually breaks down, turning into a whitish powder. Even metal shavings are enough to start the reaction. That is why the repair area for aluminum parts must be completely isolated from the area where steel is worked on.
The equipment requirements are corresponding: separate exhaust ventilation, its own set of tools, and even separate gloves. The usual semi-automatic welder is replaced by argon welding; spot welding gives way to rivets, special adhesive compounds, and laser joining. More than ten different methods of fastening elements may be used in one body.
Corrosion risks are only part of the problem. With steel panels, a technician works almost like a sculptor: the metal springs and tends to return to its former shape. Aluminum behaves differently. Its modulus of elasticity is about three times lower, and deformation is local in nature — each dent zone "lives" separately, without redistributing the load to neighboring sections.
An attempt to straighten one fragment may provoke a crack nearby. Cast parts, which are increasingly used in modern bodies, cannot be repaired at all — they are replaced entirely.
It is replacement that becomes the only restoration option, and its cost is high. Tesla was the first to introduce gigacasting technology: the rear part of the Tesla Model Y is cast as a single piece instead of approximately 70 separate elements. Chinese manufacturers quickly mastered similar solutions.
The global market for aluminum casting for the automotive industry grows by about 7% annually, and China holds the position of the largest producer in it. However, in the event of serious damage to a one-piece cast structure, the car is effectively declared a total loss: replacing a separate segment is impossible, the entire casting must be replaced, and its cost is comparable to about half the price of the car.
In five years, when today's Chinese cars with aluminum body elements enter the used market en masse, this may come as a surprise to buyers. Externally, the body looks flawless — no traces of rust, no stains. But even a light hit to a fender can result in a repair bill two to three times higher than similar work on a steel body. Comprehensive insurance for such cars will cost more.
An additional risk arises if the previous owner repaired damage with an unqualified technician. Under a fresh layer of paint, there may be a hidden focus of electrochemical corrosion that will reveal itself several months later.
An aluminum body is not in itself either an advantage or a disadvantage — it simply dictates different operating conditions. Audi has had experience working with aluminum structures since 1994, and during this time a full-fledged service infrastructure has been formed. Chinese brands in Russia do not yet have such infrastructure, and its appearance within one or two years is unlikely.
Before buying a car with aluminum body elements, it is sensible to find out in advance where qualified repairs are available nearby and how much they will cost. A light, striking, and rust-resistant body is an advantage that sooner or later has to be paid for. And it is better to understand the scale of future expenses even before signing the contract.