Offenbach/Main, Germany – Falken Tyre Europe has launched the Espia Ice winter tire with “unique studs” for icing conditions and for short braking distances, the company announced on 26 Feb.
The new pins, said Falken, are made of the hardest material, tungsten carbide, and have been “specially optimised” for the lightweight tire.
The tire has been developed and manufactured in Europe and features directional, boxed-shaped stud-pins which have three grooves on each side to crush ice.
The specially-developed dual-compound design secures the stud during running and provides high levels of snow grip.
The Espia Ice features 16 independent stud lines to increase grip, as well as ice traction and braking.
Falken said that a 4D compound structure designed by supercomputers has been used in the tire to increase macro-stiffness for better feel and reduce micro-stiffness for better adhesion.
The 4D Nano designed compounding technology is a patented Sumitomo Rubber Industry’s technology that has improved tire performance, weight and tire life.
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