Alcoa Reinvents the Wheel Alloy

October 20, 2013

Rolls Out Most Advanced Material for Stronger, More Fuel-Efficient Truck Wheels

Alcoa (NYSE:AA), the inventor and global leader of forged aluminum
wheels, today rolled out the most advanced aluminum wheel alloy in 45
years. The new material opens the door for lighter weight wheels at
increased strength with the same corrosion-resistant characteristics as
the industry standard, also made by Alcoa. Alcoa expects to introduce a
new, state-of-the-art wheel featuring the alloy in early 2014.

Unveiled at the American Trucking Association Management Conference &
Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, the new lightweight alloy, called
MagnaForce™, is on average 16.5 percent stronger than the industry
standard, Alcoa’s 6061 alloy, in similar applications. Alcoa will use
the material to manufacture wheels for commercial transportation, where
lighter weight products that increase fuel efficiency are in high demand.

“Alcoa is making truck wheel history with our innovative aluminum
material,” said Tim Myers, President, Alcoa Wheel and Transportation
Products. “No manufacturer has produced a wheel with an alloy superior
to Alcoa’s 6061 material. Our MagnaForce alloy today opens the door to
production of the strongest, lightest wheels to increase fleet payload,
improve fuel efficiency and enhance sustainability.”

Alcoa has been the industry leader since inventing the forged aluminum
wheel in 1948 using an alloy it had developed for the aerospace
industry. In 1968, Alcoa set the industry standard again when it
launched its 6061 alloy for forged aluminum wheels. Alcoa’s 6061
material provided a strong, durable alloy, resistant to corrosion that
is used to this day by all major forged aluminum wheel manufacturers.
During that time, Alcoa’s experts have continually met increasing
demands for lighter weight wheels, engineering products that today are
10 pounds lighter than wheels from 20 years ago, using the same alloy.

Alcoa’s scientists and engineers at the Alcoa Technical Center, the
world’s largest light metals R&D center located outside Pittsburgh,
invented the MagnaForce alloy following two years of development.

Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products is part of Alcoa’s downstream
business, Engineered Products and Solutions. Through the third quarter
of 2013, Engineered Products and Solutions contributed 25% of the
company’s total revenues.

For more information on Alcoa Wheels, please visit www.alcoawheels.com.

Editor’s Note: Caption for accompanying photo: Alcoa has rolled
out the most advanced aluminum alloy for truck wheels, opening the door
for lighter, stronger, corrosion-resistant wheels. Alcoa invented the
forged wheel, shown here, and has remained the industry leader for 65
years.

About Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products

Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products, headquartered in Cleveland,
Ohio, serves the commercial vehicle, automotive, and defense markets
with products used in a range of applications including forged aluminum
wheels, premium products such as Dura-Bright®, Dura-Flange®, LvL ONE®
and M-Series™ medium duty truck wheels, as well as a variety of other
aluminum components for these markets. AWTP is composed of three
divisions: Commercial Vehicle Wheels, Forged Specialty Wheels and
Transportation Products. It employs 1,500 people at 13 locations
worldwide. More information can be found at www.alcoawheels.com.
Follow @AlcoaWheels on Twitter at twitter.com/AlcoaWheels.

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated
aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of
alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry,
Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace,
automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 125 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for 12 consecutive years and approximately 75
percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 30
countries across the world. For more information, visit www.alcoa.com
and follow @Alcoa on Twitter
at twitter.com/Alcoa.

Alcoa
Investors
Kelly Pasterick, 212-836-2674
Kelly.Pasterick@alcoa.com
or
Media
Christa Bowers, 212-836-2605
Christa.Bowers@alcoa.com
or
Alcoa Wheels
Brian Thomas, 216-978-3203
Brian.Thomas@alcoa.com