David Fowler

Funding boost for weight-saving composite wheels

News

The first low-cost commercially viable composite automotive wheel could soon be a reality after a consortium of specialist UK businesses won a match-funded grant of £135,000.

Electric vehicles and urban delivery vans are the initial target market for the wheel, which promises a weight saving of up to 50 per cent compared with a typical 15in steel wheel.

The ACRIM (All Composite Reduced Inertia Modular Wheels) project comprises UK composite specialists Carbon ThreeSixty and Far UK, and polymer specialist Bitrez. The consortium won a share of £2.5m funding through the Niche Vehicle Network’s Low Carbon Vehicle Technology R&D Competition and is working with GKN and Manchester Electric Vehicle Co and Microcab to test the wheel’s effectiveness.

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The six-month project aims to take the wheel through proof of concept to a stage where production can be scaled up.

Composite wheels currently available are manufactured for the high-performance market and are offered as options on supercars such as the Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive. However, they typically cost £2,000 or more each.

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