Alcoa expands North America family of Ultra ONE Wheels with Magnaforce alloy

Lightweight, high-performance metals leader Alcoahas expanded its family of the world’s lightest heavy duty truck wheel, Ultra ONE Wheel with MagnaForce alloy by launching wheel sizes 24.5” x 8.25”, 22.5” x 14” and 22.5” x 9”. Ultra ONE is currently offered in the standard 22.5” x 8.25” size. The new sizes will be available for order in North America on May 15, 2016.

“Alcoa is continually expanding its state-of-the art aluminum wheel solutions,” said Tim Myers, president, Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products. “The Alcoa Ultra ONE wheel with MagnaForce alloy changed the industry when it was introduced and we’re proud to add to this family of lightweight, freight efficient, easy-to-maintain, cost effective wheels.”

These latest sizes from Alcoa further expand its portfolio of forged aluminum wheels. The premiere Alcoa Ultra ONE 22.5” x 8.25” wheel with MagnaForce alloy, introduced in 2014, weighs just 40 lbs and is nearly 50 percent lighter than steel wheels of the same size. The wheel remains the lightest wheel in the industry and can help save additional weight per rig, enabling fleets to carry more goods and lower GHG emissions.

The all-new Alcoa Ultra ONE 24.5” x 8.25” wheel with MagnaForce alloy is the lightest and strongest wheel in its class. Weighing just 51 lbs, the new wheel weighs three lbs less than its predecessor—the LvL ONE 24.5” x 8.25” wheel.

Alcoa’s Ultra ONE 22.5” x 14.00” wheel with MagnaForce™ alloy is now even lighter, coming in at just 52 lbs, an additional two-pound reduction.

With a 12,800-lb load rating, Alcoa’s 14” wheels were already the lightest wheels in the market. Now, with an additional two pound weight reduction, fleets can haul more freight while maintaining the strength and reliability they expect from an Alcoa wheel. The lightest 14” wide base wheel in the industry now uses revolutionary Ultra ONE technology with MagnaForce alloy to reduce more weight and optimize performance. When converting from steel dual wheels and tires to Ultra ONE 22.5” x 14” wheels on an 18-wheeler, fleets will save more than 1,400 lbs.

Tough jobs demand tough wheels and Alcoa 22.5” x 9” wheels now also feature Ultra ONE technology with MagnaForce™ alloy. The lightest 22.5” x 9.00” aluminum wheel offerings in the industry at 56 and 48 lbs, based on fitment, these lightweight heavyweights save more than 50 lbs versus a comparable steel wheel for improved productivity without sacrificing load rating.

Ideal for refuse collection, logging, mining and other heavy-haul applications, each Alcoa Ultra ONE 22.5” x 9.00” wheel with MagnaForce alloy offers a 10,000-lb load rating. And just like every Alcoa wheel, customers can count on one-piece forged aluminum strength that’s five times stronger than steel, no painting, lower maintenance costs, true cool running and Alcoa’s five-year limited warranty.

Fleets have increasingly converted to aluminum wheels that offset the weight of federally-mandated pollution-control equipment. Lighter wheels can also improve fuel economy.

When trucks burn less fuel, they emit fewer greenhouse gases. Replacing steel wheels with aluminum wheels on one American 18-wheeler offsets the annual carbon footprint of an average family of four in the United States. Alcoa’s aluminum wheels are also six times brighter than competitors’ wheels, giving them strong aesthetic appeal. Because they are corrosion resistant, they do not require stripping and repainting, further lowering operators’ maintenance and costs.

Alcoa’s wheels business has been launching a progression of innovations since inventing the forged aluminum wheel in 1948, widening the company’s lead over competitors. The company is expanding its wheels presence in Europe and into China and Brazil to capture growing global demand for its wheels.