Carbon Revolution awarded OEM program, sets sights on additional NA facility
The carbon fiber wheel manufacturer and supplier has been awarded a total of 18 vehicle programs over the last couple of years, and is now looking to build capacity.
Carbon fiber wheels deck out this 2023 Chevrolet Corvette. Photo Credit: Carbon Revolution
Carbon Revolution plc (Geelong, Australia), a Tier 1 OEM supplier and a global manufacturer of lightweight carbon fiber wheels, has been awarded a program by a premium brand of a major German automaker, one of two previously announced OEM wheel programs awarded in recent months.
Overall, the company has been awarded 18 vehicle programs for six global OEMs including Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Renault, Ferrari N.V. and Jaguar Land Rover and intends to continue to expand its portfolio of global automaker clients as demand grows for its technology.
In addition to an extensive number of programs, the company cites a backlog that has more than doubled since October 2022 to $730 million, due primarily to new program awards, with almost 50% of the backlog for electric vehicles (EVs).
Carbon Revolution wheels weigh up to 50% less than comparable aluminum wheels, and can provide an up to 5-10% increase to EV vehicle range. They reduce unsprung mass, which improves efficiency, while also helping automakers comply with Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) targets set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These benefits have contributed to the award of the two previously announced OEM programs in recent months.
Carbon Revolution has invested significant capital and IP in its current facility in Waurn Ponds, Australia. It continues to build capacity with the objective of reaching at least 70,000 wheels per year. There have also been announcements that the company has plans to open an additional North American facility capable of producing hundreds of thousands of carbon fiber wheels annually.
“We’re getting ourselves prepared for a facility that will be in North America, quite possibly Mexico, that can service our North American customers and customers in other parts of the world,” CEO Jake Dingle told Automotive News. Dingle says the company is already looking at locations and partners that could support a “fairly rapid” scale-up of production.
For related content, read “Ford Mustang Dark Horse features Carbon Revolution carbon fiber wheels.”
Related Content
-
Materials & Processes: Fibers for composites
The structural properties of composite materials are derived primarily from the fiber reinforcement. Fiber types, their manufacture, their uses and the end-market applications in which they find most use are described.
-
The state of recycled carbon fiber
As the need for carbon fiber rises, can recycling fill the gap?
-
Plant tour: Joby Aviation, Marina, Calif., U.S.
As the advanced air mobility market begins to take shape, market leader Joby Aviation works to industrialize composites manufacturing for its first-generation, composites-intensive, all-electric air taxi.
