March 31, 2022 - Alumobility, a non-profit organization focused on technical studies to advance the adoption of aluminum automotive body sheet, announced that Thomas Rudlaff (pictured) has been appointed its managing director. He will lead Alumobility’s strategy and governance and report to the board of directors. Mark White, who led the association through its first year, has chosen to focus on the organization’s technical studies and partnerships and has accepted a new role as technical director.
“I am thrilled to join Alumobility at a time of tremendous opportunity for the automotive and aluminum industries,” said Thomas Rudlaff, managing director, Alumobility. “As automakers continue the transition to electric vehicles, aluminum is the material of choice for lightweighting, allowing vehicles to be more efficient for consumers, and our planet. I look forward to working with the team to advance our strategy to grow the market for aluminum automotive body sheet.”
A former engineering executive with Mercedes-Benz and Audi, Rudlaff brings more than 30 years of experience designing and developing lightweight vehicle structures to his new role. During his career, Rudlaff has led multiple projects to launch fully aluminum vehicles, including the first aluminum-intensive vehicle at Mercedes-Benz. He holds a degree in physics from the University of Kaiserslautern and a PhD in laser technics from the University of Stuttgart.
“We are very pleased to welcome Thomas as managing director,” said Pierre Labat, president of Alumobility. “His strong technical knowledge of aluminum, as well as his perspective as an automaker, will allow us to advance our program of technical studies, and partnerships with industry experts and OEMs, as we continue to demonstrate the strong benefits of aluminum over competitive materials for lighter, more efficient vehicles. I would also like to thank Mark White for his instrumental leadership of Alumobility through its first year, and for continuing to share his vast knowledge of the aluminum and automotive industries as our technical director.”
Alumobility was founded by aluminum leaders Constellium and Novelis in January 2021. In its first year, the organization introduced studies on lightweight aluminum doors, structural b-pillars, and the top hat, and expanded its membership to include joining experts ARO, Atlas Copco and Sika. This year, the partners plan to introduce a new study on joining techniques to demonstrate the value and performance of various scenarios that can be applied to aluminum-intensive vehicles, as well as mixed material structures, and a study on the extensive benefits of aluminum for electric last mile delivery vehicles.
