Sumerians in Lower Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq, initiated the journey by inserting rotating wooden axles into solid wooden discs.
A significant transformation occurred around 2000 BC when these discs were hollowed to create lighter wheels, increasing their versatility. Spoked wheels have been found in graves that date back as late as 2100-1800 BC. Wire-spoked wheels didn’t emerge until the 1870s.
Wheel technology took a giant leap in early 20th century with the patent of the first detachable metal wheel, albeit in the artillery style. The subsequent 150 years saw material transitions that shaped the wheel industry, including the first alloy wheels in 1924 and later, around the mid-to-late 1960s, aluminium-casting improvements resulted in safer, less brittle wheels.
In less than two decades, Carbon Revolution has climbed to the top of the global automotive supply chain pyramid, becoming a supplier of some of the most technically advanced wheels in the world. The compelling tale of this regional Australian company highlights the power of human ingenuity in leveraging material innovations to reshape industries.
