ERJ Tire Tracker - November/December

Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) is supplying its Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 060 tires to Lexus as factory standard tires on its latest Lexus RX, launched in November. The tires are said to contribute to greater fuel efficiency and a quieter overall ride for the vehicle, helped by a new rubber compound based on SRI’s advanced materials development technology. Developed using advanced simulation technology, the tires also feature an optimal arrangement of lug grooves around the circumference of the tire to further optimise noise performance.

Bridgestone’s Alenza 001 and Alenza Sport A/S tires have been selected as OE on the new Lexus RX released in Japan in November.  Alenza 001 tires will be supplied for use on vehicles sold in Japan, Europe, and Asia while Alenza Sport A/S tires will be equipped on vehicles marketed in North America. The products employ the company’s Enliten – light-weighting, low rolling-resistance tire technology.

Goodyear reported that its “win rate on targeted new EV fitment bids exceeds 50% globally,” in its third quarter results.  Over the three months, it added several built-for-EV OE fitments that are expected to “have strong pull-through in the replacement market.” Goodyear recently launched the ElectricDrive all-season tire and two new sizes for its UHP tire, the ElectricDrive GT. With the addition of four new sizes to its EV tire lineup, the range “is now a fit for 44% more BEVs operating in the US.”

In its third quarter results, Hankook highlighted the expansion of its ‘iON‘ range of electric vehicle (EV) tires to truck and bus EV tires. As well as the launch of the first EV tire for truck and bus in Korea, the ‘Smart iON AU06+’, the company said it aims to expand electric TBR tires – ‘iON City’ designed for urban areas, and the ‘iON Flex’ for mid-to-long distance journeys. The products, it said, are currently in development for the European market and will subsequently be available in other global markets.

Pirelli’s EV portfolio now includes over 300 homologations with the “well-known brands in the world, in both premium and prestige, reported the company. Claiming that its EV tire offering is about 2.5 times wider than a market average, Pirelli said it aims to double sales in the fast-growing segment. In the first nine months of this year, “we already achieved our market-share target in high -value EV [tires], equal to approximately 1.5 times that of premium/prestige vehicles.”

Bridgestone has been selected to supply “bespoke tires” to the all-electric BMW i3. The Alenza “ultra-low rolling resistance” tires, said Bridgestone, features a host of “cutting-edge technologies”, including the lightweight Enliten technology to reduce tyre rolling resistance and weight by up to 20%. The EV-marked tires also feature a specially-developed material compound and tread pattern to help BMW i3 deliver “deliver outstanding performance, extraordinary range and impressive acceleration.”

Hankook has expanded its OE portfolio for EVs by supplying Ventus S1 evo 3 ev for the all-electric Škoda Enyaq iV. The size of the tires will vary, between 18 – 20 inches, depending on the model variant of Škoda’s first electric SUV.

In North America, Apollo Tyres is expanding its tire offering with the launch of Vredestein Pinza HT in the region. The tire, said Apollo is a new addition to the Pinza family, an all-seaon tire designed for trucks, SUVs and crossovers.

Swedish carmaker Volvo has selected Pirelli P-Zero Elect tires for the limited edition of its Polestar 2 BST edition 270. The car maker said while developing the new edition, it focused on “perfecting the mechanical grip” and used Pirelli’s expertise to find the right compound and structure for the responsiveness and grip required. Pirelli’s specially developed 245/35R21 P Zero tire has been selected as OE fitment for the car to provide “optimal grip, stability, and road contact under all conditions.”

Hankook has unveiled its newly iON race tires tires at an event at the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Austria, attended by representatives of Formula E and international press. Hankook will be the new and official technical partner and tire supplier of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as of the next season. The new tires, Hankook said, are made of 30% sustainable materials.

Yokohama has been selected by Subaru an OE tire supplier for the new Crosstrek model was launched in Japan earlier in September. The tire maker will be supplying Geolandar G91 tires in sizes 225/60R17 99H and 225/55R18 for the SUV.

In addition, Yokohama also announced that it is now supplying its flagship Advan dB V552 tires as OE to Honda Motor for its latest SUV model in Japan.

Chinese tire maker Sentury Tire has unveiled its latest product Qirin EV, a new-energy vehicle tire. Qirin EV, according to Sentury, adopts “new formulas and new materials”, including new low-carbon and environmentally friendly material such as bio-based oil, bio-based polyester, bio-based nylon, carbon structure cross-linking system, ‘Mercapto silane’.

Continental’s SportContact 7 tire has been recognised with the ‘product innovation award’ at the recent National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) annual dinner in the UK. The tire, launched in October last year, is claimed to improve all performance criteria compared to its predecessor SportContact 6, “to combine ultimate driving pleasure with maximum safety and sustainability.”

The Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R has set a new record, conquering Colorado’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on the Lamborghini Urus Performante in record time for the category. With multiple hill climb champion and Pirelli test driver Simone Faggioli behind the wheel, the Performante recorded a time of 10m32.064s: beating the previous class record of 10m49.902s, set in 2018. The tire, according to Pirelli, has been also selected as OE fitment on the new Lamborghini SUV and has been developed in close cooperation with the car maker.

More items to follow…