Yokohama adds SUV and EV-orientated HLC tyres to range

The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. has started selling HLC (high load capacity) tyres. According to the company, HLC tyres are designed “to meet the needs of heavy-duty passenger cars such as EVs and hybrid cars with high capacity batteries, as well as large SUVs.” Having been developed as the original equipment (OE), Yokohama Rubber reports that the company will also develop products for the replacement market in line with market needs.

Yokohama’s HLC standard complies with definitions established by the tyre and rim body the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO) (Photo: Yokohama)

In response to the increase in the number of heavy-duty passenger cars, for which conventional XL (extra load) standard tyres have difficulty maintaining high load capacity and performance characteristics, HLC tyres were established as a new tyre size in the passenger car tyre category of ETRTO standards with a higher load capacity than conventional XL tyres. Comparing the load capacities of 275/35 R23 size tyres, conventional XL tyres come in at 900 kg (load index 104), while HLC tyres can carry 1,000 kg (load index 108). HLC tyres are indicated with “HL” at the beginning of their tyre size descriptions.

Yokohama Rubber representatives report that HLC tyre require “advanced technology to ensure quietness and handling stability while maintaining high load durability”. The company developed its HLC products through “repeated simulations of failures caused by high loads”. And that process resulted in the development of a dedicated profile for HLC tyres that “achieves a balance between load durability and other performance characteristics, with less heat generation and strain under high loads than standard tyres”.