Yokohama to begin Indian operations in November
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. will be adding a new designation on its tyres. From the second half of 2023, the tyre maker will add E+ rating to the tyres it makes for electrified vehicles. These include electric passenger cars, trucks, and buses amongst others. Electrified vehicles like battery electric vehicles (BEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) require different qualities from the tyres as compared to regular ICE vehicles.
Tyres installed on electrified vehicles need to cater to different requirements. These include higher load rating due to high torque of the motors and heavy batteries, quieter operation that matches vehicle’s lack of engine noise and contribute to the driving range of the electric vehicle.
Yokohama is already the original equipment supplier for electrified cars like the BMW iX3, Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+, and Lexus RZ. It also supplies to Toyota for the bZ4X and Subaru’s Solterra. Mini vehicles like the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi Motors’ eK X EV also get rubber from the Japanese company.
Apart from OE vehicles, the company is also looking to cater to the needs of the replacement tyre market. Hence, it is working on additional tech that will support the E+ mark on the tyre sidewalls.
This new mark will be also displayed in the tyre information section in catalogues, websites and others. The first tyre to get the E+ mark is the new ADVAN Sport EV. It is an ultra high performance summer tyre for EVs that will be available from Autumn 2023.
For the 2021-2023 medium term management plan, the company has announced the Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023) initiative. Under this, high-end tyres like the global flagship ADVAN, Geolander SUV and pick-up truck tyres and other winter tyres will be promoted for higher sales.
Further, the company is also considering feedback from not just OEMs but also customers (EV owners). This will be used in the development of replacement tyres for EVs.
Also Read – Yokohama BluEarth tyres to be factory fit on Toyota Prius & Prius PHEV.