I shall preface that I'm not attempting to be pedantic, but please provide more information on corrosion losses, and how it might apply in an automotive setting? I ask as I don't have any annual cleanings on my power distro at my home, which comes in as aluminum connections, nor a lot of the power transmission lines that I'm aware of. In a salty environment this may be a different case, I admit, but if you can provide further information, it would be handy. Thanks.
Sure. Aluminum connections have been used in a fair variety of PV installations for decades, including one I made in 1989 in the Bahamas. Admittedly it was on a small, 145 acre island with salt water all around. I had to make an annual reconnection to clean developing corrosion in posts and connectors themselves. In numerous gut rehabilitations I have done (around 20 or so) I have encountered aluminum wiring several times. Usually that wiring lasts a decade or so vs 25 years or so for copper. I have owned and operated roughly 40 aircraft of different types. Most had extensive aluminum use. In overhauls and periodic inspections aluminum components have failed to most frequently. Aluminum corrodes more deeply than does copper which tends to form a protective coat, and as it ages it becomes more susceptible to damage from vibration.
As you imply, aircraft stores near say, Tucson Arizona, tend to have very little corrosion.
I do not mean to suggest that aluminum is a bad idea, only that issues related to it's use are different than are those of copper. Frankly, I suspect that the dual savings in weight and cost are influencing factors, and I mentioned above that technical advances in alloys, fasteners, enclosures all can greatly reduce some of those disadvantages. One common technique also is to establish a periodic replacement cycle, similar to that now used for some famous airbags. The airbag case is instructive too. The Takata airbags were not 'defective' but they did require periodic replacement of inflators, which they were criminally tardy in doing. Might something similar happen here. Maybe.
The lighter the vehicle needs to be the more probable it will be taht some parts will be life-limited, as is common practice for aircraft and even some cars. It seems to me the ability to shave one kg grows in importance with BEV's. Careful application of carbon fiber, aluminum and some other materials can save enough weight to require less robust wheels, brakes, suspension and so on, creating a virtuous cycle. I do not know how far Tesla will go along this road, but I do know longer range and reduced energy consumption are critical goals.
I hope taht helps without dragging out my metallurgy reference books. I'll wager some mechanical engineers among is can provide a much more compelling explanation than can I.
