From the article:

LONDON/SHANGHAI/BEIJING/DETROIT, June 30 (Reuters) - Ferrari and BMW are rolling out new models featuring lightweight, cost-effective aluminium wiring, accelerating a shift away from copper, the dominant material in electric wiring since the invention of the electric ​battery two centuries ago.

The decisions follow similar moves by Tesla and Chinese EV makers and reflect a broader industry trend forecast to affect around 2% of global copper demand ‌this year, according to JPMorgan.

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Companies across several sectors are migrating to aluminium because of far lower prices and comparable performance, according to Reuters interviews with 18 carmakers, cable and air conditioning companies, metals producers and consultants. Ferrari and BMW said they chose aluminium ​in part because of its lighter weight.

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Substitution of aluminium for copper has come in waves over two decades, but record copper prices in late January, peaking close to $15,000 per metric ton, ​added weight to the case for switching to aluminium. Forecasts for global supply fall short of those for demand for more than the next decade.

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Ferrari (RACE.MI), opens new tab, which already uses aluminium for its bodies, engines and chassis, told Reuters it started using the lightweight metal for power cables on its 296 hybrid sports car last year. Ferrari has ​since introduced aluminium wiring into other models, including the Luce, its first ever EV launched last month.

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The move saves up to 20% of the total wiring weight, said Ferrari communications executive Dario Esposito.

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Germany's BMW (BMWG.DE), opens new tab said it first used aluminium conductors in 2011 in its subcompact 1 series and progressively expanded substitution in hybrids and EVs. Currently, it uses a large number of aluminium cables in both high and low-voltage systems in its latest eDrive EV technology, launched last ​year.

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The world’s fourth-biggest automaker, Stellantis <STLAM.MI, opens new tab>, also recently started swapping copper wiring for aluminium, according to an industry source familiar with the matter. Stellantis declined to comment.

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The government in the world's biggest metals consumer, China, encouraged companies to make the switch to aluminium in a March 2025 ​policy paper seen by Reuters, and many have heeded the call.

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Lightweight aluminium is especially attractive to EV makers because cutting weight allows for longer driving ranges. And ⁠saving money is ​crucial for EV firms in China, where a price war has left margins razor-thin. And aluminium has ample room to ​gain ground in autos, where about 85% of electrical wiring busbars, which connect an EV's battery to its systems, are still copper, according to Hydro.

The Chinese auto industry has benchmarked Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab, a pioneer in using aluminium for wiring when it introduced its ​Model Y in 2019, and more recently in its Cybertruck, Woychowski added.