Several RONAL employees are already driving electric cars. Our Swiss colleague Martin (Director Group Tool Manufacturing) has now also opted for an electric variant, namely the new VW ID.3, as his company car. After all, RONAL AG has offered its employees the opportunity to charge their electric vehicles in Härkingen during working hours since 2018.
But Martin not only picked out the classy electric Volkswagen – he also had it outfitted with the world’ first carbon-neutral wheel, the RONAL R70-blue, foil-coated to match. We asked Martin a few questions.
Martin, out of all the possibilities, why did you go for the VW ID.3 as your company car?
It was clear to me that my next and last company car should be electric only. These days, they are suitable for everyday use and as I now take the car to our German plants in Forst and Landau and nowhere else on business, a range of 300 to 350 km is more than enough. During the test drives with electric cars, the ID.3 was the last one, and for me it was clear after just a few miles that I wanted an ID.3. The size, equipment, and assistance systems all won me over. The size especially is ideal, as I also want to get my wife interested in an electric car. She never drove my last company car because it was far too large for her…
Did you know right away that you wanted to outfit the car with the new RONALR70-blue wheels? Or how did you make your decision?
Yes. It was perfect timing! In the autumn, delivery of the ID.3 was announced for early March 2021, and the R70-blue was launched as a world premiere in the same period. For me, it was simply logical to combine an electric car with a carbon-neutral wheel, plus I’ve been running a photovoltaics system privately since the summer of 2018 so I can charge sustainably at home
Are you satisfied with your choice? What do you like about the R70-blue in particular?
Yes. The R70-blue wheels are a good fit for the ID.3. The R70-blue has a modern, but simple design. And the deciding factor, of course: The wheel is carbon-neutral.
How do you like the PLANBLUE concept and how sustainability has been implemented in the RONAL GROUP? Or: How important is the matter of sustainability within the RONAL GROUP and how exactly is it realized?
I am confident in the PLANBLUE concept of the RONAL GROUP, as we as a society have to leave future generations a world worth living in. Reducing carbon emissions is a must for both companies and people. The RONAL GROUP takes the matter of sustainability very seriously. When it comes to replacement and new investments, their sustainability plays an important role. For example, our tool making ALRON in Portugal has already finished the first stage of installing a photovoltaic system. The new tool making hall at RON AG in Härkingen was also equipped with a photovoltaics system, and the smelting furnaces in the production facilities will gradually be fitted with a heat recovery system. These are just a few examples of how exactly the RONAL GROUP has implemented sustainability.
By launching the R70-blue, a project was initiated with the goal of increasing the amount of recycled materials used in producing the wheels while reducing the amount of primary aluminum, as a great deal of carbon is generated in producing primary aluminum. This project will help us reach our goal of reducing carbon emissions within the RONAL GROUP by 50% by the year 2025 compared with the 2016/17 business year. I am proud to be the head of this long-term project since the end of 2020.
Martin, thank you and have fun with your new car and the awesome wheels!
Looking to learn more? Continue reading here: Information about RONAL R70-blue
