New tyre industry standard: Sailun introduces EcoPoint³ technology

Sailun Tire Group says it has developed a technology that will “create a rubber revolution in the tyre industry.” Utilising liquid phase mixing, this new proprietary technology is known as EcoPoint³. According to Sailun, EcoPoint³ matches or exceeds tyre performance across the three key functional attributes of rolling resistance, wear resistance and wet grip performance. It will, the tyre maker confidently adds, “change the way that tyres are manufactured.”

Explaining the technology, Sailun shares that EcoPoint³ allows a completely uniform mixing of rubber compounding materials under continuous liquid phase conditions, thereby providing a consistent rubber compound mix. This means regardless of whether the tyre is a high-performance, summer, all season or winter model, EcoPoint³ will adapt to “deliver the right rubber balance for exceptional performance and longevity in a wide range of vehicle and seasonal applications.”

New level of international competitiveness

Years of “painstaking research and development on high-performance rubber materials” went into this breakthrough, shares Sailun. It anticipates that EcoPoint³ will bring the company “into a new level of international competitiveness.”

As for the qualities that the technology delivers, Sailun says EcoPoint³ “not only improves a tyre’s rolling resistance for increased efficiency, but also enhances traction and provides more durable tyre wear resistance.” The manufacturer adds that utilising EcoPoint³ in the production process leads to tyres “that can last longer and perform better for a safer, more energy-efficient and comfortable drive.”

Benefits for ERange EV

“We’re thrilled to officially launch EcoPoint³ and see a project come to life after several years in development. EcoPoint³ is a game changer for the tyre industry both for the quality of tyres it will produce but also in the way tyres are made moving forward. EcoPoint³ sets Sailun products apart from other tyre manufacturers and will set a new standard for the tyre industry in global sustainability in the automotive space,” says Ron Dolan, president of Sailun Tire Americas.

Testing organisations such as TÜV Rheinland and Applus+ IDIADA have already validated EcoPoint³ liquid phase mixing, as has the China Rubber Industry Association. Sailun was also honoured for EcoPoint³ at the ApexTire 2021 China Annual Tire Awards ceremony, an online event held on 28 March. The three awards bestowed upon Sailun included Environmentally Friendly Tyre of the Year and Fuel-Efficient Tyre of the Year, accolades gained for the new S01 and SFL12, tyres for the Chinese market that draw upon EcoPoint³ technology.

EcoPoint³ will debut internationally in the Sailun ERange EV, a new flagship tyre line specifically designed, dedicated, and manufactured for electric vehicles. Sailun notes that its “advanced proprietary technology” is “ideally suited” to the demands of electric car drivers. It also reports that passenger car tyres made using its EcoPoint³ technology have met the requirements for an EU tyre label AA grade.