Alcoa supplying aluminum for Audi vehicles

Alcoa Corp. recently announced it is supplying sustainable aluminum to RONAL GROUP for use on the Audi e-tron GT, the automaker’s first electric sports car.

The aluminum will be used for the alloy wheels. It is manufactured using a combination of Alcoa’s low-carbon aluminum brand, EcoLum, and a technology that enables the production of metal without direct carbon dioxide emissions during the aluminum smelting process.

The technology, ELYSIS, was developed in a joint venture between Alcoa and Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian multinational metals and mining corporation. It works by using inert anodes that replace the carbon anodes traditionally used during electrolysis.

RONAL GROUP’s technology will be added to the wheels to improve the overall aerodynamics. The wheels will be produced using 100 percent green electricity in Germany and used exclusively by Audi.

“Alcoa’s DNA is built on discovering the process that made aluminum a part of our everyday lives, and we’re proud to help the industry take another step forward to lower the carbon footprint of global supply chains,” said Tim Reyes, Alcoa’s chief commercial officer and executive vice president. “Our partnership with the RONAL GROUP in supplying Audi with sustainable solutions helps make an innovative vehicle even more exciting for consumers.”