Europe’s 1st All-Season EV Tire
The Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV, Europe’s first all-season EV tire developed specifically for battery electric vehicles and hybrids, was unveiled by Apollo Tyres, the Indian parent company of Apollo Vredestein B.V., and was touted by the company as establishing new norms for grip, efficiency, noise, and environmental impact in this hot new market.
Of course, it has some intriguing features, such as a tougher construction pattern and an asymmetric tread pattern that was developed to handle the typically greater weight of EVs. Additionally, the rolling resistance has decreased by at least 15% in comparison to the brand’s top-performing non-EV dedicated tire, resulting in increased EV driving range and decreased risk of “range anxiety.”
Additionally, cornering stability is better and handling performance has improved by 6%. Also, this is the first all-season tire in history to receive a High Load (HL) designation for the 255/40 R 20 variant. This is used to confirm the tire is able to carry 10% more weight than a reinforced Extra Load’ (XL) tire at the same pressure, making it appropriate for bigger fully electric vehicles, particularly SUVs. Other premium features include 4% better dry braking in terms of handling and the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification for convenient usage on ice and snow or in places where this is needed.
In addition to promising a 5% improvement in ride comfort and quiet operation through an AI-optimized sequencing of tread pitches, the company has announced that its new offering will go on sale starting next month in seven initial 18/19-inch sizes. By next summer, the full range will be expanded to include 17- to 20-inch wheels (with another 12 measurements).
The Apollo Tyres team tested the Quatrac Pro EV in the real world on multiple road surfaces in addition to using computer simulation and artificial intelligence–based acoustic modelling to create an optimal sequence of “pitches” (the repeated pattern of tread blocks) that produce a less distracting noise signature at various speeds. As a result, there is a 1dB decrease in exterior noise compared to a car with an equal non-EV Vredestein all-season tire.
The Apollo Tyres R&D division looked at both the energy required and the carbon that would be emitted during manufacture while designing the Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV. The new Quatrac Pro EV has a 17% lower environmental impact, measured in terms of global warming potential of CO2, when compared to its standard all-season tires, which helps to reduce the lifecycle carbon footprint.
The Quatrac Pro EV will be manufactured at Apollo Tyres’ two European production sites in Gyöngyöshalász, Hungary; and Enschede, the Netherlands.
Since the all-season tire sector began to take off in the early 1990s, the high-end tire manufacturer Vredestein, founded in 1909, has been at the forefront. Apollo Tyres continues to use its understanding of summer and winter tires to create four-season solutions that operate at a high level regardless of the weather.
“The Quatrac Pro EV is a strategically important product for us, for three key reasons,” explains Daniele Lorenzetti, Chief Technology Officer at Apollo Tyres. “Firstly, motorists are making the shift towards electrified mobility in ever greater numbers and carmakers and consumers alike are seeking tires engineered for the specific characteristics and dynamic attributes of EVs. Additionally, the all-season tire segment is the fastest growing, so it makes sense that we continue to diversify the range of Vredestein products that are designed for year-round use. Finally, no other company has the all-season heritage to match that of Vredestein – it was a segment we pioneered and it is natural that we take a lead once again by producing Europe’s first all-season EV tire.”
The company states that its new tire establishes new norms for grip, efficiency, noise, and environmental impact and sets new benchmarks in those areas. It should be noted that it is the only EV tire available for such testing in Europe.
The construction of the tire sounds like it would be a good tire for electric SUVs for all kinds of conditions. However, there is no mention of the final cost per tire. The price will likely be available when they release the tire to the market next month.
Source and photos: apollovredestein
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