Lightweight Wheels

CO₂ emissions could be the single largest contributor of global warming – and since much of it is caused by the transportation sector, legislation targeting vehicle emissions are in place all over the world to address the issue.   

Reducing vehicle weight and fuel consumption are two ways OEMs and suppliers can address these regulatory requirements. Therefore, the critical challenge for manufacturers becomes finding the right balance between weight reduction and cost, while retaining or improving vehicle or component performance. 

Much attention has been placed on reducing the weight of truck vehicle components in pursuit of fuel efficiency and payload. Considering the wheel is one of the heavier components, reducing its weight can significantly contribute to both fuel economy and payload.

For more than 20 years, we've been at the forefront of optimizing the weight of steel truck wheels as an enabler of improved fuel efficiency and a decrease in CO₂ emissions. Since 1997, we have lowered the weight of our steel wheels by 7 kg, from 41 kg to 34 kg, in large part due to the ongoing Research & Development programs funded by our company to target cost-efficient weight reduction.  

In 2016, we've launched the industry’s lightest mass-produced commercial vehicle wheel at 34 kg. Since then, our customers have acknowledged the GEN34 wheel as the most cost-competitive, lightweight solution with more than one million wheels now on the road.

Currently, we are running two advanced engineering development programs producing a 30 kg steel wheel concept and an ultra-light commercial vehicle steel wheel concept.  

Because when it comes to the challenge of reducing CO₂ emissions, we don't take it light. 

In 2007, we developed the Reduced Rim Technology (RRT): a proven and proprietary optimization process that removes structurally unnecessary material from the aluminum wheel without compromising its robustness or functionality.

By reducing the rim thickness to only 2.15mm, RRT enables us to produce the most cost-competitive lightweight aluminum wheel in the market. Since 2007, we have delivered almost 5 million RRT wheels to our customers, ranging from affordable to mid-class to premium brands.