Maxion Wheels Launches Gen34 – the Lightest Truck OEM Steel Wheel in the European Market

Wheels, the world’s leading wheel manufacturer, launched today the industry’s lightest commercial vehicle steel wheel from its booth (Hall 26 / Booth E47) at the 66(th) International Motor Show IAA Commercial Vehicle trade fair. The Gen34 22.5″ x 9.0″ steel wheel weighs 34 kilograms, making it the lightest steel wheel available to truck OEMs in the market today.

“We know a key concern of our OEM customers is the reduction of C02 emissions, as European vehicle manufacturers continue to tackle the aggressive targets set forth by the European Commission,” said Pieter Klinkers, Chief Executive Officer, Maxion Wheels. “Reducing vehicle weight is a key strategy because lighter trucks mean less fuel, and that equates to fewer emissions. Maxion Wheels always strives to lead the industry in providing the lightest commercial vehicle steel wheels, and in this respect we reached a breakthrough with Gen34 weighing 34 kilograms. Through sophisticated design and use of global manufacturing techniques, more than five kilograms of steel were eliminated over the last few years, without sacrificing either product reliability or durability. That represents a savings of approximately 35-40 kilos on a vehicle.”

Klinkers continued, “Gen34 will go into production in 2017, and we will continue our hard work to get these wheels at a weight of approximately 30 kilos by 2020.”   

ABOUT MAXION WHEELS

Maxion Wheels is a leading wheel manufacturer for passenger cars, light trucks, commercial trucks and trailers. The Company also produces wheels for agriculture and military vehicles, as well as other off-highway applications. With more than 100 years of wheel-making experience and 10,000 employees globally, Maxion is the world’s largest wheel manufacturer, producing nearly 60 million wheels per year. The Company serves its global OEM customers from 22 locations in 12 countries on five continents, and has state-of-the-art technical centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. To learn more, please visit Maxion Wheels’ website at http://www.maxionwheels.com.