Lacks executives said their tests show the new wheel can improve gas mileage by 1.1 miles per gallon on the highway and .4 miles per gallon in city driving.
Lack Wheel Trim System's new wheel is lighter and more aerodynamic, company officials say
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Lacks Wheel Trim Systems LLC, a business unit of Lacks Enterprises, Inc., has developed a new lightweight automotive wheel that can improve fuel mileage.
The patented “eVOLVE hybrid composite wheel” is lighter and has better aerodynamics that most wheels on new cars today, according to executives with the Kentwood-based firm. The new wheel was introduced last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Lacks executives said their tests show the wheel, which will be manufactured at Lacks’ factory in Kentwood, can improve gas mileage by 1.1 miles per gallon on the highway and .4 miles per gallon in city driving.
“The Lacks eVOLVE wheel technology provides a direct answer to helping automakers meet increasingly stringent federal fuel efficiency standards,” said James Ardern, director of business development, Lacks Wheel Trim Systems.
The new wheel system features a high-strength metal backbone that is enclosed by a lightweight metal composite, Ardern said.
While a 17-inch production wheel for a Ford Focus weighs 23.7 pounds, a similar eVOLVE wheels weighs 4.5 pounds less, or 19.2 pounds, Ardern said. That’s 18 pounds less of “unsprung” weight per vehicle, he said.
Additionally, the lightweight material allows engineers to design a more aerodynamic wheel to help improve gas mileage, Ardern said.
Ardern said the new wheels are patterned after Lacks’ patented Chrometec wheel technology. Lacks Wheel Trim Systems is a supplier to Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and Volkswagen.
Founded in 1961, Lacks Enterprises, Inc. employs more than 2,300 workers in West Michigan. It has grown to become a leading automotive supplier in thermoplastic design, injection molding, plating, painting, assembly, logistics and supply chain management.
E-mail Jim Harger: jharger@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JHHarger