Falken has announced that its Ziex ZE310A Ecorun AO tyre has been approved as factory fitment on the Audi A3 TFSI e hybrid, in size 205/55 R16 V XL. The tyre’s ability to bear high loads, together with good traction and rolling resistance characteristics makes it ideal for today’s electric and hybrid vehicles, says Falken.
Electric propulsion is becoming increasingly attractive for heavy vehicle operators, and Continental is thus working together with truck and bus manufacturers on tyre solutions that meet these vehicles’ specific requirements. It is currently conducting testing at its Contidrom facility in northern Germany with an electric truck made by electric commercial vehicle specialist Futuricum.
Kumho Tire Europe has a vision to “grow into a major brand,” shares Namhwa Cho. Speaking with the CEO Edit, a show presented outside the UK by BBC StoryWorks, the Kumho Tire Europe president spoke about the tyre maker’s aspirations as well as its experiences during the pandemic and plans to capitalise on mobility megatrends.
Hankook will act as main sponsor of the 2021 BBC Top Gear Global Electric Vehicle Awards, which recognise the best EVs across 12 different award categories, including EV of the Year, Best Hatchback, SUV, Estate, and Hypercar. This arrangement builds upon other EV-related engagements, such as Hankook Tire’s upcoming tyre supply to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the world’s first and only all-electric street racing Formula series.
After the news announced today that Ofgem will be investing £300m into the UK’s electric car charging network, Sepi Arani, Director of OEM at www.carwow.co.uk, said the following: “We’re pleased to hear that Government regulator Ofgem will be investing around £300m into the EV charging infrastructure here in the UK.
April’s launch of Bridgestone’s quietest bus and coach tyre ever made followed 18 months of internal testing with its biggest fleet customer. The tyre is in part a product of a lengthy development project with Stagecoach, whose Manchester city centre fleet of green vehicles became the first in Europe to operate on the product. The U-AP 002 reduces rolling resistance, extends mileage, and reduces fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and total cost of ownership according to Bridgestone’s testing against its predecessor in size 275/70 R22.5. The tyre was developed to fulfil the requirements of an electric and hybrid bus fleet, a quickly growing target market.
Michelin will supply replacement tyres to the all-inclusive electric car subscription service Onto. Speaking about the decision to fit Michelin tyres, Onto states that it wants to ensure users can access dedicated electric vehicle (EV) tyres. Rob Jolly, co-founder and CEO of Onto said the company wanted a tyre partner that “truly understands EVs” and the “huge impact” tyres can have on EVs’ performance. The company wants its tyres to support extended battery range, low noise and long-lasting safety throughout their life. Chris Smith, managing director of Michelin UK, added that the deal demonstrates both brands’ commitment to sustainable mobility.
As of 1 May, Michelin is offering a range of electric bus tyres that can also be adapted for use on conventional vehicles. Although it developed the Michelin X Incity EV Z for electric vehicles, the tyre maker says the range is “especially efficient when used on traditional buses.”
Giti Tire has updated its Giti GAU867v1 all-position urban bus tyre range. The manufacturer’s developed tyre is particularly targeting the growing electric bus market. It is manufactured to handle higher load and improve wear resistance. Giti has also added a new size to the range in the 265/70R19.5 143/141 J. The existing 275/70R22.5 size now has an updated load index of 152/148 J.
Audi is once again turning to Goodyear to equip one of its flagship electric vehicles. Audi e-tron SUVs have been fitted with Goodyear tyres as original equipment since 2019, and now Audi is equipping its new generation gran turismo, the Audi e-tron GT, with 21-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 tyres.
RAC analysis of the latest official Government data shows that the number of battery electric vehicles (‘BEVs’) in private hands in the UK rose by nearly 30,000 in the 12 months to September 2020, an increase of 53 per cent on the year before, with more than a third of these (36 per cent) in London and the South East of England.
The first Michelin tyre engineered to meet the specific handling and range requirements of electric sports cars will come to market from 1 April. Announcing the imminent launch of the Pilot Sport EV, Michelin shares that the tyre excels in a number of areas of key importance to drivers of electric performance vehicles – notably grip on wet and dry roads, resistance to wear, low rolling resistance and reduced noise.
In little over a month’s time, the new Extreme E race series will commence with the opening round in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, and Continental is ready with its CrossContact Extreme E. The exclusive tyre supplier shares some details of the rubber that will be worn by each of the competing Spark ODYSSEY 21 electric SUVs.
Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Thierry Bolloré has announced that the Jaguar brand will be a 100 per cent electric vehicle marque by 2025. The announcement, which came as part of the company’s “reimagine” global announcement, also saw JLR initiate a journey to become a net zero carbon business by 2039. Specifically, Jaguar and Land Rover will offer pure electric power, nameplate by nameplate, by 2030. By this point, in addition to 100 per cent of Jaguar sales, it is anticipated that around 60 per cent of Land Rovers sold will be equipped with zero tailpipe powertrains. At the same, executives emphasised the company’s British identity and sought to differentiate between its Jaguar and Land Rover flag brands.
Davanti and Evergreen have joined premium brands in hailing 2020 as “a big year for electric vans.” The trend towards electric vehicles in the light commercial sector has gathered pace as van manufacturers announced new models. Meanwhile the Covid-19 pandemic served to underline the importance of delivery drivers to the economy. Delivery giant UPS placed an order for 10,000 electric vans over the next four years. Currently in the UK, there are 10,300 electric vans registered. Davanti, the Oak Group’s tyre brand, and Evergreen for which its wholesale arm serves as UK distributor both say they are prepared for the electrification of the van parc with their current products.
Bridgestone
Michelin
Jaguar Land Rover