Tyre News

Vredestein says it will debut a new tyre specifically developed for electric vehicles (EVs) later this year and has shared a few details about this upcoming all-season product. Apollo Tyres, which manufactures the Vredestein brand, is currently evaluating the tyre through computer simulation and at proving grounds around the world following a “major new research and development programme” that includes close collaboration with leading car makers.

Amongst the many highlights of this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed is the fully-electric Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance. The Porsche test vehicle is equipped with Michelin tyres that also push the boundaries of sustainability, containing no less than 53 per cent biosourced and recycled raw materials.

By the end of 2022, UK drivers will be able to buy Continental summer or all-season made using polyester from recycled PET bottles. Continental calls this sustainable material ContiRe.Tex and began incorporating it into some tyre lines in April. The initial range coming to the UK consists of 15 dimensions in total, with five sizes of PremiumContact 6, EcoContact 6 and AllSeasonContact available.

Elect is the name Pirelli adds to tyres it tailors for electric and plug-in hybrid cars. After supplying these products for factory fitment on new vehicles for the past two years, Pirelli is now offering Elect tyres to aftermarket customers as well. Pirelli has integrated Elect into all P Zero, Cinturato and Scorpion lines in order to offer the technology across its summer, winter and all-season ranges. The tyre maker says Elect is “now widely available” for aftermarket customers.

Continental is supplying original equipment tyres for full-electric and plug-in hybrid versions of the new Kia Niro. In the UK and Europe, as well as in Middle East and African markets, Kia will deliver the fully-electric version of its SUV with Continental EcoContact 6 Q tyres in size 215/55 R17 94V. Its Continental tyre of choice for plug-in hybrid models of the Niro is the PremiumContact 6, in size 225/45 R18 95V XL FR.

When Nexen Tire introduced its first all-season tyre in the UK a decade ago, many drivers saw these products as just an option for smaller cars with only a handful of horses under the bonnet. Product development has brought all-season tyres a long way since then, and attitudes have changed too. Nexen Tire has now launched a new generation of all-season tyre, and there’s not a single fitment for runabouts or city cars to be seen.