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Aug 3, 2009 4:07 PM

Alcoa and CIMC Vehicles (Shandong) Co Ltd, a specialty truck manufacturer in China, have formed a strategic partnership to design and develop a new, energy-efficient aluminum fuel tanker trailer for the Asian market.

Kevin Kramer, president of Alcoa Growth Initiatives, and Xiaoxu Liu, general manager of CIMC Shandong, formalized the partnership in Jinan City, Shandong Province. Alcoa will apply its design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise with CIMC Shandong’s fabrication knowledge to produce the lightweight, environmentally friendly tanker trailer.

The Alcoa Bohai plant in Qinhuangdao, China, will supply the aluminum sheet and Alcoa Fastening Systems (Suzhou) Co Ltd in Jiangsu, China, will provide 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.

Lightweight aluminum production and lower fuel costs of the tank trailer result in a total carbon dioxide savings of 90 tons per trailer over the lifespan of each vehicle.

The first prototype is expected to be road-tested in Jinan City and Beijing in October 2009.