Yokohama Rubber (Yokohama) has announced that from the second half of 2023 it will be applying a new proprietary ‘E+’ mark to its tyres for the passenger cars, trucks, and buses that have special qualities needed by electrified vehicles. The new E+ mark is the latest facet of Yokohama Rubber’s response to the rising demand in recent years for tyres most suitable for use on electrified vehicles.
The company says tyres installed on electrified vehicles must be able to meet special needs, for example, the tyres must have the strength to withstand the higher loads associated with heavy electric batteries as well as the electric motor’s high torque output. They also must have a quietness quality that complements the lack of noise from the vehicle’s engine. In addition, the tyres also must contribute to the vehicle’s efficient use of electricity and other energy sources and expand the vehicle’s driving range.
Yokohama Rubber says it is already supplying tyres as original equipment (OE) for a number of electrified vehicles, including premium cars such as BMW iX3, Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+, and Lexus RZ, crossover SUVs from Toyota Motor (the bZ4X) and Subaru (the Solterra), and mini-vehicles such as the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi Motors’ eK X EV.
The tyre maker is also accelerating its development for the replacement market for electrified vehicles by applying various technologies cultivated through its development of OE tyres. In addition to displaying this new E+ mark on the sidewall of Yokohama tyres that incorporate these technologies to meet the special needs of electrified vehicles, the E+ mark will be prominently displayed in tyre catalogues and websites so that customers will be able to understand that a tyre is suitable for use on electrified vehicles and facilitate their selection.
The first Yokohama tyre to bear the E+ mark will be the new Advan Sport EV, an ultra-high performance summer tyre for EVs that the company plans to launch in Europe and other markets from autumn 2023.
Under Yokohama Rubber’s three-year (2021–2023) medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023), the consumer tire business aims to maximise the sales ratios of high-value-added tyres, namely the global flagship Advan brand, the Geolandar brand of tyres for SUVs and pickup trucks, and various winter tyres. In addition to strengthening its marketing of tyres to be used as OE on EVs, which require tyres made using the most advanced technologies, it is utilising the feedback received from EV makers in its development of replacement tyres as it seeks to expand its product lineup and improve the performance of all its tyres to meet new requirements in this era of dynamic change.
