Blackwave: Hybrid rim made of carbon and aluminum saves weight

B astian Behrens and Raphael Setz, the two founders of the startup Blackwave, met while studying together at the Technical University of Munich. They came into contact with the production of carbon fiber reinforced plastics during their work for TUfast, where light electric cars and racing cars with combustion engines are built for competitions.

Blackwave now has 13 employees and works for customers from the automotive, aerospace and and space industry as well as for manufacturers of sports equipment. Light wheels are among the desirable results of the developers not only for competition vehicles, but also for street-legal cars.

Weight advantages for electric cars

It is not only the reduction of unsprung masses in a car that stands for better driving comfort in the foreground, but also further weight savings in electric cars.

Blackwave has developed a relatively easy-to-manufacture hybrid rim, the star of which is made of aluminum, which is combined with a rim base made of carbon. According to the company, weight savings of over 50 percent should be achieved compared to conventional light alloy rims.

A 10-inch rim was used by Blackwave on racing cars in the Formula Student, where it has proven its durability. The next step is likely to be the transfer of this technology to production automobiles.