GEELONG, Australia, July 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carbon Revolution plc (Nasdaq: CREV) (the “Company”), a Tier 1 OEM supplier and the leading global manufacturer of lightweight advanced technology automotive carbon fiber wheels, today announced that it will supply the carbon fiber wheels available on the just-revealed Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.
“It has been a great honor to work with General Motors (GM) again. This will be the third Corvette to feature our carbon fiber wheels,” said Carbon Revolution CEO Jake Dingle. “Our team harnessed its extensive engineering and manufacturing experience to come up with a wheel befitting of the highest-performance Corvette we’ve ever seen.”
Carbon Revolution’s one-piece carbon fiber wheels are significantly lighter than the aluminum option, reducing the Corvette ZR1’s rotating, unsprung mass by 42.8 lbs. (19.4kg) across the vehicle. The outcome: carbon fiber wheel technology with the design flexibility and a unique aesthetic sought by GM for its new halo car.
Dingle said the wheel’s performance in testing highlighted the talent and experience of Carbon Revolution’s Product & Manufacturing Engineering teams in meeting GM’s weight, durability, strength and aesthetic standards.
“The thin, split-spoke design of our wheels for GM highlights what is possible with carbon fiber. When you compare to some of our earliest designs, coupled with the highest load rating yet for a performance car, you can see how much we have progressed with our world-leading technology. The final product is one that our team is very proud of that enhances the Corvette ZR1’s performance,” said Dingle.
Faced with complex load paths in the wheel’s hub geometry and around the bolted joint, the Carbon Revolution team developed a unique internal fiber architecture, which, together with Carbon Revolution’s patent-pending Diamond Weave Technology™, were essential to meet GM’s high targets for strength, weight and durability in a thin, split five-spoke design.
The front wheels are 20 inches tall and 10 inches wide while the rear wheels are 21 inches tall and 13 inches wide. The rear wheels are the world’s widest carbon fiber wheels, alongside Carbon Revolution’s rear wheel for the eighth-generation Corvette Z06 and the E-Ray.
Carbon Revolution has designed the wheel for production at scale on the Company’s Mega-line.
Today’s news follows Carbon Revolution’s wins at the 2024 Automotive News Pace Awards, which recognize automotive suppliers for superior innovation, technological advancement, and business performance. These wins included a PACE Partner Award for Carbon Revolution’s collaboration with GM on its carbon fiber wheel for the C8 Corvette Z06 and E-Ray.
About Carbon Revolution plc
Carbon Revolution plc (Nasdaq: CREV) is the parent of Carbon Revolution Pty Ltd, an early-stage growth company which has successfully innovated, commercialized and industrialized the advanced manufacture of carbon fiber wheels for the global automotive industry. The Company has progressed from single prototypes to designing and manufacturing lightweight wheels for cars and SUVs in the high performance, premium and luxury segments, for the world’s most prestigious automotive brands. Carbon Revolution is creating a significant and sustainable advanced technology business that supplies its lightweight wheel technology to automotive manufacturers around the world.
For more information, visit carbonrev.com
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