Through the product standard indicators,we can compare the performance of aluminum alloy cable with pure aluminum cable and copper cable.

With respect of the conductivity, the copper material is the best , followed by pure aluminum and 8000 series aluminum alloy  respectively.

With regard to elongation or flexibility, copper material ranks the first level , 8000 series aluminum alloy the second level,pure aluminum the third one. 　 

As for the  tensile strength and corrosion resistance, copper’s performance is the best, followed by pure aluminum and aluminum alloy.Besides,the tensile strength of  aluminum alloy is lower by 30% than that of pure aluminum .  

Through above comparisons, we can see that compared with  pure aluminum cable ,8000 series aluminum alloy cable's creep resistance and fracture flexibility has improved, but other the performances not only have improved, but no better than that of pure aluminum.Moreover 8000 series aluminum alloy price is higher than that of pure aluminum, so in cable industry pure aluminum is considered a better choice rather than 8000 series aluminum alloy.  

Aluminum alloy cable's performances are not as good as that of copper cable. Thus the idea the aluminum alloy cable can totally  replace the copper cable is unrealistic.

By and large , in addition to copper and pure aluminum materials, aluminum alloy is a new solution for cable materials. However, due to the complexity of power system ,there will be more risks and increase of maintenance costs etc.Taking these factors into account , the EU countries chose  to adopt a more realistic policy, stipulating  that cables  shall be made of copper and pure aluminum materials, rather than the aluminum alloy.