Yokohama introduces “E+” electric vehicle tyre marking

One of the key messages the Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. announced at its recent Nurburgring event was that they tyremaker is applying a new “E+” mark to its passenger cars, from the second half of 2023. An official announcement from Yokohama Rubber’s Japanese headquarters has since confirmed that the same marking will also be applied to trucks and buses equipped with the same properties required by electrified vehicles. That 12 July official statement specifies that the term “Electrified vehicles” includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). In other words, the new E+ marking is Yokohama’s bid to bring clarity to exactly what an electric vehicle (EV) tyre is.

According to Yokohama, EV tyres must have “the strength to withstand the higher loads associated with heavy electric batteries as well as the electric motor’s high torque output”. In addition, they “must have a quietness quality that complements the lack of noise from the vehicle’s engine”. They must also “contribute to the vehicle’s efficient use of electricity and other energy sources and expand the vehicle’s driving range.”

Yokohama already supplies original equipment (OE) tyres for a number of EVs including the BMW iX3, Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+, and Lexus RZ as well as crossover SUVs from Toyota Motor (the bZ4X) and Subaru (the SOLTERRA), and mini-vehicles such as the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi Motors’ eK X EV.

But the news doesn’t just apply to OE tyres. Moving forward, Yokohama reports that it is accelerating development of replacement market EV tyres by “applying various technologies cultivated through its development of OE tyres”. As we reported at the start of the month, the first Yokohama tyre to bear the “E+” mark is the Advan Sport EV, which is available from autumn 2023.