Over the last few years, Fuel Wheels has dominated the custom rims market not only in the United States but across the world. There has to be something special in these wheels if it is increasing its sales and gaining larger target audiences every year, right? What makes Fuel the go-to wheels for those who are looking for a new set of aftermarket rims? Why should you upgrade to these rims given that there are so many other wheels extraordinaire available at your local retailers?
Sit back and let us explain!
An introduction to Fuel Wheels
You could argue that the company is relatively new. After all, it was founded in 2009 by the parent company, MHT Luxury Alloys. MHT is a prodigious innovator in the market, on the lines of HRE Wheels, although the latter is an older entity.
In fact, HRE was founded by the maverick designer Gene Howell in 1978; the acronym stands for ‘Howell Racing Enterprises.’ It also has a significant presence in Japan, although both Fuel Wheels and HRE own manufacturing units in California.
But unlike Fuel Wheels, HRE did not venture into off-roading and heavy-duty rims. MHT did- the result is the fantastic range of Fuel rims. Although the parent company has now merged with the Colorado-based Wheel Pros, the name is still recognizable.
Since 2009, Fuel has introduced multiple models with very different qualities and attributes. Fuel is now the go-to rim brand for people who drive for the love of driving. Thanks to its active and vibrant user community, Fuel’s products have earned the reputation of being some of the foremost torchbearers of 21st century off-roading wheels!
How are Fuel Wheels different?
Here are some common reasons cited in defense of the fame the brand has acquired in these few short years.
- Fuel has a thorough understanding of the customer’s sentiments and expectations, thanks to its wide presence and impressive market research. Since it retails rims around the world, it will often bring major chunks of style and aesthetic attributes to differing markets, gaining the first-mover advantage.
- Fuel was one of the first major manufacturers to introduce 24 inch rims for off-road use. This has later been offered by several other brands too, but the recall value is undeniable. While rims of this size had been in existence earlier, they were mostly used for heavy vehicles. Fuel Wheels sells both flat profile and concave profile wheels; the maximum diameters for each are 28 inches and 30 inches respectively.
This also eliminates the use of PCD adapters to an extent.
- While it is true that most comparable companies share this attribute, Fuel is known for sourcing and using the best aluminum blocks available. Continuing with the previous point, one of the best-selling 24 inch rims is the FF24, a milled rim with 8 lugs. It is a completely customizable product which means you can ask the company to modify the lip design per your preference and can even ask for the brand’s logo to be removed entirely.
This factor of extreme and on-demand custom wheel orders is something that even a company as reputable as HRE Wheels is unable to catch up with. It must be mentioned in the same breath that HRE is catching up rather quickly.
- With the fashion quotient in place, Fuel ensured that there were zero supply chain lags. It has invested significant amounts in proper stock-keeping, quicker TAT, strategically placed warehouses across Mainland USA, and company-owned dealers. Of these, the last factor is of great significance as dealerships serve the end-users and fulfil last-mile connectivity.
A brief throwback to the oomph element is necessary at this instant. In a crowd of vehicles with aftermarket wheels galore, Fuel Wheels will definitely attract attention due to their 8-spoke design, the multitude of color combinations from the staid to the racy and the different styles of custom rims.
Functionality of these rims will be covered in another write-up. Still, it is important to remember that Fuel’s products are pretty lightweight, providing more savings to users. They are exceptionally sturdy and respond very well to panic/hard braking.
A few final words
We began by focusing chiefly on off-road wheels. And we believe you now have a fair idea of why Fuel Wheels should be your chosen brand in this department. All said, there is just one aspect most automobile and tire/wheel experts stress upon: luxury rims.
If you own a Rolls Royce, a Bugatti, a Jag, a top-shelf Mercedes AMG or a Bentley- basically any one of the most elite passenger cars available- you can choose from either HRE Wheels or Fuel.
Premium rims from both these companies are equally placed.
Happy motoring!
