News
March 10, 2023
Announcing the Launch of FALKEN “e. ZIEX” – a New Replacement Tire for EV～Accelerating the Development of EV Tires～
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. is pleased to announce that we will be launching FALKEN “e. ZIEX” as a new line of replacement tires for electric vehicles (EV) in Europe, where the market for EV has been growing at a rapid pace. Featuring the highest level of fuel (energy) efficiency of any tire that we have offered to date, “e. ZIEX” is our second line of replacement tires designed for EV, joining the ranks of DUNLOP “e. SPORT MAXX,” which we launched in China last year.
■EV Tire Performance Requirements: Low Rolling Resistance, Greater Load Resistance & Quite Ride
Low rolling resistance is an essential performance requirement of EV tires, as lower rolling resistance means better energy efficiency, which in turn contributes to how far an EV can travel on a single charge. At the same time, batteries add considerable weight to EV, which means that EV tires also have to bear much greater loads. In addition, EV engines run silently, which makes noise from the road and tires all the more noticeable.
In order to fully respond to the distinctive needs of EV, “e. ZIEX” takes full advantage of an innovative new rubber compound developed using our proprietary “ADVANCED 4D NANO DESIGN” Material Development Technology to achieve simultaneous improvements in fuel (energy) efficiency and grip strength. In addition, we have also optimized the tire profile by reducing the tread width in the shoulder section (near the sidewall), thereby improving the uniformity of contact pressure for greater load resistance. On top of that, “e. ZIEX” also incorporates our proprietary “SILENT CORE” (Specialized Noise Absorbing Sponge Technology) to provide a quieter all-around ride.
As more and more people around the world take an active interest in environmental issues, the market for EV is receiving more and more attention on a global scale. In response to these trends, the Sumitomo Rubber Group recently launched DUNLOP “e. SPORT MAXX” as a new line of EV tires featuring the highest level of fuel (energy) efficiency in our history in China, where the market for EV is growing at an astonishing pace. As environmental awareness is also quite high in Europe, we have high expectations for the future of the EV market in the region. With our new FALKEN “e. ZIEX,” we have responded to the specific needs of the European Market with further improvements in terms of driving performance on wet road surfaces. In this same way, we will continue to develop and produce tires with an eye toward meeting the needs of our customers in each region.
The Sumitomo Rubber Group recently unveiled our New Midterm Plan*, in which we commit ourselves to redoubling our efforts to develop and produce EV tires and other advanced products to respond to the evolving needs of CASE as well as the sustainable societies of the future. Toward this end, we have set targets of reducing rolling resistance by 30% and overall tire weight by 20% (compared with 2019 levels) by the year 2027 and are already working to develop the next generation of EV tires to achieve these targets. Through these efforts, we hope to contribute to the realization of sustainable societies for the future.
