Automotive News: Big changes for wheels in the EV era

24 May, 2022

While many car parts are redundant in EVs, innovations such as lightweight carbon fibre wheels are set to shake things up.

As the auto industry electrifies, vehicles as we know them will be very different. While some components will be relegated to history books, many vehicle parts are set for big changes in EVs, Automotive News writes.

As automakers seek to cut weight and increase EV range, suppliers of vehicle components are innovating to boost efficiency.

Carbon Revolution is one supplier Automotive News is forecasting to shake things up as it scales up production of carbon fibre wheels.

Scaling up for mass production

Thus far, the company’s wheels have been seen mostly on high-end performance vehicles such as the Ford GT, Ferrari F8 Spider and Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

CEO Jake Dingle said Carbon Revolution has brought manufacturing costs down to the point where building carbon fibre wheels on a mass scale is now possible. Carbon Revolution sees much of its growth potential in the EV market, where automakers are all ears on increasing range.

“This can be more than just a niche technology,” Dingle told Automotive News. “If you’re an EV designer today, and you’re searching for the next thing to give you some more miles per charge, this would be a big lever to pull.”

Lighter, aerodynamic wheels to boost range

Carbon Revolution wheels are 40 to 50 percent lighter on average than standard aluminium wheels on the market. Furthermore, Carbon Revolution can design wheels aerodynamic shapes, decreasing drag and increasing range without a prohibitive weight increase.

Disruptive technology that people love to look at

As manufacturing costs come down and EV adoption accelerates, Carbon Revolution expects carbon fibre wheels to claim 15 percent of the aluminium wheel market by 2035.

“To be able to come into the market and be able to offer a range-extending technology that’s also a premium technology that people love to look at, we see it as an advantage,” Dingle said.

Read the full article here.