October 2020, Miami, FL – ESE Carbon Company has completed phase 1 testing of its E2 one-piece carbon fiber wheels at the world-renowned Transportation Research Center, Inc (TRC) in Liberty, Ohio.
TRC is the largest independent vehicle test facility in the U.S., consisting of over 4,500 acres of road courses, trails and a 7 mile oval track, all of which are designed to test the safety, strength and durability of automobiles and their associated components.
Over a grueling 3-day period, ESE’s E2 wheels were subjected to testing centered around performance, braking, handling, steering, driver comfort and control. Testing was performed using a Tesla Model S Performance which thanks to its weight and performance is one of the most demanding vehicles on wheels.
Individual tests consisted of various potholes, rough road testing, high-speed acceleration and braking scenarios, and durability track testing first using the original equipment wheel (27lbs) and tire package, followed by ESE’s E2 wheel (17lbs) with Pirelli P-Zero tires. Results of these tests demonstrated increases in 0-60 acceleration times by at least a tenth of second and decreases in 60-0 braking distance of 4%, with the professional driver reporting “noticeably lighter turn-in and faster acceleration out of corners.”
“We are thrilled with the results that these early tests have shown, and are looking forward to another round of testing in the very near future to further demonstrate the benefits and capabilities that carbon fiber wheels can bring to the auto industry,” said Carlos Hermida, CEO of ESE Carbon Company.
ESE Carbon Company was founded in 2011 by a small, talented team deep in the north Georgia mountains, with the goal of removing the market barriers of carbon fiber composites like never before. A decade later, we continue to drive innovation in areas such as tailored fiber placement (TFP), high-pressure resin infusion, engineering design and analysis. With a patented process and use of advanced manufacturing and automation technology, ESE Carbon has developed a one-piece, one-cure carbon fiber composite wheel, targeted for consumer release in late 2021.