Tire Tracker: February/March

Latest news on fitments, testing and related innovations from the global tire industry:

Peugeot has selected Michelin to exclusively equip its new Peugeot 3008 and E-3008 SUV models sold in Europe. All versions of the vehicles - hybrid or 100% electric - will receive tailor-made tires, specially developed by the tire maker’s engineers over three years. Specifications included “extremely high expectations in terms of safety on wet and dry surfaces… long life and energy efficiency, noted a Michelin release. 

Sumitomo Rubber Industries has begun delivering its Dunlop Grandtrek AT5 as the OE tire for the new Lexus NX Overtrail released in February. The vehicle was developed as part of the Overtrail project, which aims to realise “a carbon-neutral society and a "symbiosis of people, nature, and mobility," and supports a wide range of outdoor lifestyles for customers.” The installed AT5 is an all-round SUV tire that combines high on-road and off-road performance. In addition to improving wet performance by adopting a new compound and a new pattern with high drainage effect, it also improves cut resistance by placing blocks on the side, and the placement of a stone ejector to prevent stone bite. 

Yokohama Rubber Co. is supplying its Geolandar A/T G94 as OE tires on the Triton pickup truck launched by Mitsubishi this February in Japan. The Triton, said YRC, “has been introduced to the Japanese market for the first time in about 12 years and is being fitted with 265/60R18 110H size tires. The new Triton was launched in Thailand in July 2023, in the Philippines in January 2024, and in Australia and New Zealand in March 2024, and will be successively launched in about 100 countries worldwide. The Geolandar A/T G94 all-terrain tire for SUVs and pickup trucks is claimed to offer "excellent fuel efficiency, comfort, and safety performance, as well as utility performance on a variety of road surfaces."

Continental’s PremiumContact 7 took first place in the joint annual summer tire test conducted by the automobile clubs ADAC (Germany), ÖAMTC (Austria) and TCS (Switzerland). The tire, launched last year, took the top spot on wet and dry surfaces, outperforming 15 competitors in the 215/55 R 17 size. For braking distances on dry roads, the tire set “the best mark” with 35 metres from 100km/h. On wet roads the test car stopped after 28 metres from 80km/h.

Bridgestone has launched a new EV-ready winter touring tire, Blizzak 5 Enliten, which offers “superior snow performance, best-in-class wet-braking and enhanced mileage.” According to independent TÜV SÜD tests, Bridgestone’s latest tire is “a top-rated tire for snow braking and traction, and offers the shortest stopping distance on wet roads”. The new flagship winter tire also delivers 32% better mileage than its previous generation Blizzak LM005. Bridgestone said it employed its Enliten tire technology platform combined with “a variety of innovations in tread and compound design” for the development of the tire. This resulted in “optimised pattern and compound matching, enhanced evenness in the tire’s wear profile and optimised sipes distribution.” With the use of Enliten technology, the tire comprises of 25% recycled and reusable materials.

Continental has launched a new soft compound winter tire, VikingContact 8, to replace the previous model with immediate effect. The focus of the development was on “safe driving characteristics in the harsh Nordic winters, increased comfort and lower rolling resistance.” The tire is suited to both conventionally and electrically powered cars, SUVs and hybrids. The directional tread pattern of the tire with its symmetrical grooves quickly drains water and slush from the contact patch. The tire also has 3D sipes and bridges between individual blocks, which stabilise the tread in cornering on wet and dry roads.

Bridgestone will supply its Battlax Hypersport S23 tires as OE for the new European road sports MT-09 released by Yamaha Motor. The custom engineered tires, specifically designed to fit the new MT-09, are claimed to be “next-generation sports tires”, featuring a new pattern design to optimise rigidity fluctuations of tire contact patch. The pattern design also helps maintain “excellent water repellent properties for riding on wet surfaces, improve grip and other performance attributes”.

Apollo Tyre has organised an ‘experiential drive’ for fleet owners and business partners for its relaunch of EnduTrax range of truck & bus radial tires. The event, at a “specially curated track” at Natrax facility in Indore, India, was organised in response to the fast pace of growth within the infrastructure segment of the country. EnduTrax range has been developed afresh with inputs from customers and also includes tires used in tipper trucks for off-road and on-road applications. The range, according to Apollo, has been developed “deploying the latest technologies on durability, mileage and cut and chip.”

A highlight of this year's The Tire Cologne is the staging of workshops with companies Hunter and Würth, of live demonstrations focused advanced diagnostics and repair technologies. Features will include “the ergonomic and efficient design of the tire service, the automated tire tread measurement during the acceptance dialogue and services for rapid measurements...” Another focus of Workshop Live will be on the challenges and requirements affiliated with the transition from combustion engines to electromobility and the related high voltage technology. New products for the tire specialty trade and advanced diagnostics methods for tyres will also be presented in the special area.

Continental has carried out more than a million trips on its fully automated tire braking test facility known as the AIBA (automated indoor braking analyser) since 2012. The facility enables “precisely reproducible test processes” to check the performance of new car and van tires on different road surfaces – dry and wet – under laboratory conditions. Unmanned, rail-guided vehicles are automatically accelerated to speeds of up to 120 km/h along a track almost 100 metres long and then braked autonomously on a 75m-long braking track. According to Conti, the AIBA facility eliminates the need for the many kilometres of driving that are required on normal test tracks for starting off and pulling away. Since its commissioning in 2012, developers have tested more than 130,000 tires, according to Continental. The German manufacturer tests two-thirds of all tire braking tests at the ABIA facility.

Yokohama Rubber is supplying its Geolandar G91 tires as OE on the new Subaru SUV, the 2025 Forester (US model), which was unveiled in November 2023. The SUV is being fitted with 225/60R17 99H size tires. According to Yokohama, the tires supplied on the new Forester employ “a highly rigid carcass, allowing them to demonstrate agile steering stability”.

Mercedes-Benz is fitting Continental’s EcoContact 6 Q tires as OE on its new E-Class models, the tire maker citing optimised noise levels, long service life and low energy-consumption as key selling points. EcoContact 6 Q tires are said to employ a ‘special’ rubber compound that reduces energy absorption through the tire while the vehicle is in motion and, in turn, reduces friction and rolling resistance. Continental said its developers have also improved the tire tread to help reduce rolling noise and enhance drive-stability and grip on dry and wet roads.

Yokohama Rubber Co. has begun applying its proprietary E+ mark on its tires for trucks and buses: indicating that the tire is suitable for electrified vehicles. The first such products carrying the mark, initially applied to YRC passenger car tyres in H2/23, will be sold for use on buses in Japan and another one for buses in Europe. Designated features include strength to withstand higher weight-loads and torque, low-noise, low rolling-resistance and ability to be retreaded.

Pirelli has been confirmed as OE tire supplier for the new Porsche Cayenne. The Italian tire maker will be providing products from the P Zero range available for every wheel size on the Cayenne. Pirelli has been a feature of the Cayenne since the very first generation was launched in 2002, pioneering the sports SUV segment. Pirelli said it had developed specific P Zero, P Zero Corsa, and Scorpion Winter 2 tires which had been approved by Porsche for low-temperature-driving for the latest facelift Cayenne. These options cover the entire range of wheel sizes from 20 to 22 inches. Scorpion Zero All Season tires are also available for some markets, in all sizes.

Bridgestone is returning to the US Consumer Electronics Show (CES) happening in Las Vegas 9-12 Jan, to present “an end-to-end customer experience” for fleets of all sizes. Bridgestone Fleet Care comprises of a “premium tires, tire and service solutions, and fleet management tools” and aims to deliver data and insights that help commercial fleets improve sustainability and efficiency and maximise safety and productivity.

Turkish tire maker Petlas has expanded the range of its truck & bus tires and is set to launch the 445/45 R19.5 trailer tire size in the near future with NZ300 pattern. The new size, Petlas said, is in anticipating the needs of the European markets, and follows a recent addition of 385/55 R22.5 SH 110 pattern for the front tire position. The tire maker is also adding 13.R 22.5 size for its RC700 Plus pattern tires, which it says are “well-regarded for applicability in mixed services”.

Pirelli P Zero E has been awarded the ‘tire of the year’ Prix Point S award at the 2023 Automobile Awards in Paris. The ultra-high-performance tire won the title for its ‘latest technical innovations’, with over 55% of materials sourced from natural and recycled origins. This, according to Pirelli, led to a 12kg-per-tire reduction in fossil and mineral-derived materials. Furthermore, tire wear, in terms of mass loss, is cut by 42% compared to traditional high-performance Pirelli products.

Yokohama Rubber is supplying its Advan V61 tires as OE to Lexus for use on the new LBX compact SUV, which were launched in Japan, Europe, Asia and other markets in December. The new LBX is being fitted with 225/55R18 98H and 225/60R17 99H Advan V61 tire, which features “specially tuned tread, side walls and compound that deliver the stable handling and comfortable ride.” The tires were developed using Yokohama’s AI-based development platform HAICoLab, according to the Japanese tire maker.

Toyo Tire is launching Proxes CF3 - a “low fuel consumption comfort tire” as part of its global flagship tire brand “Proxes” series in Japan in January 2024. The product will come in 46 sizes and will improve both fuel efficiency and wet grip of tires. Toyo said it has used its intelligent tire development platform T-Mode in developing the tire design, which improves braking performance and handling stability. The low noise tire also uses ‘nano balance technology’ for its fuel efficient material design.

Continental is supplying a range of its tires as OE fitment on the BMW 5 series and i5 electric vehicles. The SportContact 7 is being supplied for sporty driving, while the energy-efficient EcoContact 6 Q summer tire and the WinterContact TS 860 S have been approved for the entire series – both for internal combustion engine vehicles and for the all-electric i5 version.

Yokohama Rubber is supplying Advan dB V551 and Aspec A349 tires as OE fitment to Honda Motor for use on the car manufacturer´s new minivan, Odyssey. To be launched in Japan in December, the Odyssey is being equipped with the Advan dB V551 in the 225/50R18 95V size, and the Aspec A349 in the 215/60R17 96H size.

ZC Rubber has recently supplied 51-inch Tianli-branded sand tires to an unnamed OEM in the Middle East. The all-steel radials are suitable for use on a wide range of desert vehicles. The Tianli Sand Tire-1 is specifically designed for loose soil and sandy terrains and has a reinforced structure to improve strength and load capacity, "enabling a single tire to bear loads exceeding 60 tons at a speed of 20 km/h." Tianli has also incorporated “a highly durable anti-aging technology” into the tire to enable it to withstand high temperatures and humidity.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries has started the delivery of "e Sport Maxx" Dunlop tires for use as factory standard tires on the new Toyota Crown sedan (both HEV and FCEV models) that were launched in November. The tire was the group’s first commercial EV tire sold in the Chinese market in 2022 and has now been adopted as a factory standard tire in Japan for the first time.

Hankook Tire is continuing its partnership with Nissan, supplying the company's “next-generation 2024 Frontier” with two fitments: the all-terrain Dynapro AT2 in size 265/70R17 and the premium all-season Dynapro HT in size P265/70R16. Both fitments will be produced at Hankook's manufacturing plant in Tennessee, US. Hankook has been an OE supplier for the Nissan Frontier since 2015 and the current generation Frontier since 2021. The two companies have collaborated since 2013, providing fitments for models such as the Altima, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Rogue.

Italian manufacturer of commercial vehicles Iveco has selected Continental as the exclusive tire supplier for its eDaily 42S van. The tire manufacturer will equip the all-electric van with matching VanContact Ultra and VanContact Eco summer tires, VanContact 4 Season all-season tires and VanContact Winter tires.

Bridgestone received the Airbus supplier award in the sustainability category by Airbus, during a supplier conference in Toulouse, France, last month. The award, said Bridgestone, recognises Bridgestone's efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from manufacturing; value natural resources through recycling and retreading; and working with Airbus to reduce environmental impact across entire lifecycle of aircraft.

Nokian Tyres has joined the Swedish “Polestar 0” electric vehicle project to create a climate-neutral car by 2030. The project aims to eliminate “all greenhouse gas emissions” from the production and end-of-life of the car. Nokian will contribute to the project by developing “climate-neutral premium tires”. The Finnish tire maker aims to leverage its R&D expertise, and its currently under-construction plant in Romania which is claimed to be “world’s first zero CO2 emission tire factory” for the project.

Yokohama Rubber is supplying its flagship Advan V35 tires as OE to Porsche AG for the facelift model of the Cayenne premium SUV. The tires are supplied in sizes 285/40R22 110V for the front and 315/35R22 111V for rear. The Cayenne SUVs are also being fitted with Advan Sport V107 ultra-high-performance tires. The Advan V35, according to Yokohama Rubber, has been developed for a “wide range of road conditions” from dry to wet or snowy and bears the “M+S (mud & snow)” marking. The tire is also claimed to enhance fuel efficiency and delivery “superior” drivability.

The National Tyre Distributors Association (NDTA) named Continental as 'tire manufacturer of the year' during a ceremony 19 Oct. The German-basd manufacturer beat off competition from Bridgestone, Hankook, Pirelli and Prometeon Tyres to win the UK industry award. Continental, said NTDA CEO Stefan Hay, demonstrated “excellence and innovation” in product development as well as “across every single aspect of the business”.

For the current generation of Maserati GranTurismo (GT) vehicles – recently introduced in two versions, with traditional and electric powertrains – Pirelli has developed three specific tire sets, each with different sizes for the front (20") and rear (21"). For warm weather driving, the ICE variant features the Pirelli P Zero, while the GranTurismo Folgore offers the P Zero with an Elect marking, indicating specific technologies for electric cars. The P Zero is produced using advanced virtual modelling and simulation to tailor the tire to each car's characteristics..

Sumitomo Rubber Industries has started supplying high-performance Falken “Ziex ZE001 A/S” all-season tires to Subaru as OE fitment for the latest Levorg Layback model, unveiled in September. The tires are claimed to provide "all-around high performance", combining "outstanding steering stability" with "excellent fuel efficiency" on both dry roads and snow. 

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