Innovation on Wheels: How New Mobility and the Focus on Sustainability Will Change Wheel Design

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Innovation on Wheels: How New Mobility and the Focus on Sustainability Will Change Wheel Design

Duning, Ralf

New mobility, battery electric vehicles (EVs) and vehicle manufacturer strategies to achieve climate neutrality are transforming car design and automotive engineering. As an important styling element and an essential part of emissions-reduction strategies, wheel design is undergoing significant change.

Advances in simulation tools, supercomputing and increasingly diverse engineering capabilities are enabling advances in wheel design. These investments and advances are enabling Maxion to deliver on its objective of offering customers the most sustainable wheel option for every vehicle segment.

To achieve substantial carbon footprint reductions, however, major innovations are required: replacing aluminum with less energy-intensive materials is a key part of the challenge. With a carbon footprint that is 70% less than aluminum, steel wheels represent a significant opportunity for life cycle CO2 savings.

As vehicle manufacturers adjust to the evolving demands of new mobility, the need for improved aerodynamics and changing perceptions of what creates additional value for EV buyers are prompting a shift in attitudes toward steel wheels by program managers. Long overlooked, the industry’s commitment to carbon neutrality, sustainability and new mobility, is encouraging a fundamental rethink of the role of steel wheels.