Alcoa Inc. (Alcoa) has formed a strategic partnership with CIMC Vehicles (Shandong) Co., Ltd. (CIMC Shandong) to design and develop a new, energy-efficient, aluminum fuel tanker trailer for the Asian market. Alcoa will apply its design, engineering and manufacturing experience with CIMC Shandong’s fabrication knowledge to produce the lightweight, environmentally-friendly tanker trailer. The first prototype is expected to be road tested in Jinan city and Beijing in October 2009.
Kevin Kramer, president, Alcoa Growth Initiatives, and Xiaoxu Liu, general manager CIMC Shandong, formalized the partnership in Jinan city, Shandong Province.
“The aluminum fuel tanker trailer will bring tremendous value to the commercial transportation market in China, because of the outstanding environmental and economic benefits that aluminum brings to this market,” said Mr. Kramer. “The aluminum fuel tanker trailer will be 30 percent lighter than conventional stainless steel trailers, resulting in a significant increase in payload, greater fuel savings and lower emissions.”
The Alcoa Bohai plant in Qinhuangdao, China, will supply the aluminum sheet and Alcoa Fastening Systems (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., in Jiangsu, China, will provide the Huck brand fasteners. In addition, the new aluminum intensive fuel tanker trailer will roll on patented Dura-Bright forged aluminum wheels sourced from Alcoa’s Köfém plant in Hungary, enabling a smoother ride with lower maintenance.
“This is an opportunity to grow this market and create a positive environmental impact. The new aluminum tanker trailer is an optimal sustainable solution that will offer our customers a new option and opportunity to reduce their costs, while increasing their payload capacity in an environmentally friendly way,” said Liu “With the energy-efficient aluminum fuel tanker trailer, we anticipate payback within one year.”
The combination of lightweight aluminum production and lower fuel costs of the tank trailer results in a total CO2 savings of 90 tons per trailer over the lifespan of each vehicle.
In 2007, Alcoa partnered with Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company, China’s bus producer, to develop a new generation of energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly buses that were road tested during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Alcoa products, such as forged wheels, body sheet and Dura-Bright wheels, are helping the transportation industry meet its goals of improved fuel efficiency, performance, customer satisfaction, and reduced emissions.
Alcoa is a US-based company engaged in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina combined.
CIMC Shandong is a China-based specialty truck manufacturer.