Apollo Tyres launches first long-haul trailer tyre for European market, A-rated EnduMile LHT

Apollo EnduMile LHT tread (Photo: Apollo Tyres)

Apollo Tyres will enter the European long-haul trailer market with its new commercial vehicle tyre, the EnduMile LHT. The first Apollo truck tyre to achieve an A-grade rating for fuel efficiency on the European tyre label, Apollo says the tyre will be the most durable and lowest rolling resistance truck-sector tyre it has ever produced. The tyre was launched at the manufacturer’s advanced production facility in Gyöngyöshalász, Hungary, where it is to be manufactured. The EnduMile LHT will be available to customers across Europe from early 2023.

Apollo’s development process for the EnduMile LHT targeted performance improvements versus the best-selling and best-performing products in the long-haul trailer segment. The tyre features a broad and stable contact patch that optimises pressure distribution. Its new blend of polymers and fillers minimise rolling resistance while delivering consistent levels of grip on wet surfaces. Its innovative compound also helps to manage temperature changes during prolonged use. Apollo says this will help the tyre to maintain its superior performance characteristics and general tyre durability.

The tyre features a “free-rolling” tread pattern, which includes a compact centre rib to assist roadholding, curb noise and boost operational efficiency. The EnduMile LHT also features a strong carcass to facilitate retreadability, further reducing whole-life cost and increasing sustainability.

Apollo EnduMile LHT development

Apollo said its 24-month design, development and test programme was one of the most comprehensive ever implemented for an Apollo-brand product. The process was led by Apollo Tyres’ European R&D team, based in Enschede, Netherlands, at the manufacturer’s other European production facility. Apollo used extensive computer-aided simulation and a demanding real-world test schedule to validate the tyre’s dynamic capabilities and durability. The real-world testing was conducted in a wide range of climates and on varied road conditions across the continent across six countries, including the UK.

Apollo Tyres cluster director Europe – truck & bus tyres, John Nikhil Joy revealed that the testing process had used 3,340 tyres, travelling 360 million kilometres, or a distance equivalent to around 9,000 times around the globe. He said that the tyre has surpassed its target of 90 per cent of the mileage of “top-tier competitor” products, achieving between 95 and 105 per cent against rival tyres.

Apollo’s highly-automated truck tyre production line at its Gyöngyöshalász, Hungary plant (Photo: Apollo Tyres)

Demonstrating its high level of performance for the long-haul trailer segment, the EnduMile LHT is the first Apollo truck tyre to achieve the highest rating for fuel efficiency, while some of its other truck-segment products have been given the maximum performance rating for the other criteria, wet grip and pass-by noise. The manufacturer’s 470 million euro production facility in Hungary, opened in 2017, with its very high level of automation, is instrumental in helping Apollo to raise the performance levels to this point. The new tyre will enter mass production at Gyöngyöshalász in readiness to hit the European market in 2023.

“This represents a significant step forward for our brand in the truck market,” Nikhil Joy said.“As well as taking us into the important long-haul segment, the EnduMile LHT sets new standards for rolling resistance, performance and durability, allowing us to compete with the leading products in the market and provide operators with a cost-effective, premium-quality solution for the most demanding high-mileage applications.”