Conventionally, the material forming an electric wire conductor used to be routed in an automobile or the like is mostly a copper-based material such as copper or copper alloy which is excellent in electrical conductivity. Various studies have been conducted for improving mechanical properties of the conductor such as tensile strength (see for example PTD 1 and PTD 2).
PTD 1 discloses an electric wire conductor for an automobile. This conductor is made up of a plurality of stranded hard wires made of a copper alloy. The copper alloy contains any one element selected from Mg, Ag, Sn, and Zn at a content in a specific range. The copper alloy is subjected to wiredrawing at a degree of cold working of 99% or more to thereby enhance mechanical properties such as tensile strength, Young's modulus, and electrical conductivity. PTD 2 discloses an electric wire for a wire harness. The electric wire includes a conductor of a copper alloy. The copper alloy contains Ti at a content in a specific range as a precipitation strengthening element and Fe at a content in a specific range as a precipitation promoting element. Thus, additive elements dissolved in a Cu matrix are effectively precipitated, and accordingly mechanical properties such as tensile strength and electrical conductivity are enhanced.