Falken has unveiled its newest tyre, the Ziex ZE320, which features sustainable rice husk silica in its production. This model replaces the current Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun tyre and promises improved performance and greater environmental friendliness, according to the company. The initial twelve sizes of the new tyre will arrive in Europe by early summer 2024, with an additional 48 dimensions following by spring 2025.
Covering 60 sizes ranging from 15 to 18 inches, the Ziex ZE320 offers a maximum W speed rating of up to 270 km/h, along with “H” and “V” variants. Falken brand manufacturer Sumitomo Rubber Industries produces the tyre in Turkey and incorporates an environmentally friendly filler made from rice husks into its rubber compound. Rice husks are an agricultural by-product, with over 100 million tonnes generated globally each year.
Drawing on over three decades of research and development in the use of silica in tyres, Falken’s developers have balanced excellent wet weather grip with low wear rates and longer tyre life. This aligns with Falken and its parent company Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ (SRI) long-term sustainability policy, ‘Driving Our Future Challenge 2050’.
Lower CO2 emissions
Extracting silica from the ashes of burnt rice husks produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional methods. By converting the heat generated during this process into electrical energy for other processing tasks, fewer CO2 emissions result from the creation of rice-based silica.
A pre-production version of the new Falken Ziex ZE320 has already garnered praise from the trade media during a competitive product test. In March, testers highlighted the tyre’s advancements: “With its successor to the ZE310 Ecorun, Falken appears to have achieved great success. In initial tests, the new product has made significant advances in every area and achieved a very strong performance overall: its rolling resistance is noticeably lower,” reported Auto Zeitung magazine. Motorists will soon be able to experience these benefits themselves, with the first deliveries arriving at dealers in the coming months.
