Apollo launches Vredestein all-season EV tyres

Apollo Tyres has launched the Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV, its all-season tyre developed specifically for battery electric vehicles and hybrids.

According to Apollo, Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV delivers superior handling and stability, offers significantly lower levels of rolling resistance, and delivers a quieter and more comfortable ride. It also has a lighter construction and has a lower environmental impact during production.

The all-new premium product is available through tyre retailers and distributors from next month, initially seven sizes for 18- and 19-inch wheel rims, and with 12 additional sizes – including 17- and 20-inch options – on offer from next year.

Considerable research and development effort has been invested to ensure the tyre contributes to the vehicle’s overall efficiency and to maximise the driving range that can be achieved. Rolling resistance is 15% lower than that of the best-performing non-EV Vredestein all-season tyre, thanks to a carefully optimised blend of fourth-generation polymers and ‘smart’ silica for the tread compound, rim cushion and carcass.

Vehicle efficiency is also enhanced by the tyre’s weight-saving construction, which features thinner sidewalls, a lower sidewall apex and lighter materials for the belt and cap ply.

An extensive global R&D programme has confirmed the new tyre’s superior cornering stability and a 6% improvement in handling performance compared to its all-season siblings – ideal for managing the elevated torque and higher vehicle weight typical of modern EVs. The Quatrac Pro EV’s handling characteristics are enhanced by a new asymmetric tread design, stiffer tread blocks and robust construction.

Several structural features have been introduced specifically to manage the greater mass of EVs and the consequential increased loads they create during cornering and acceleration. For example, the outside shoulder of the new tyre is wider than the inner to resist lateral deformation, and the outer flanks of the main longitudinal grooves are much steeper to resist distortion as cornering forces rise.

The new EV tyre carries the ‘Three Peak Mountain Snowflake’ symbol on its sidewall, verifying its all-weather performance and its proficiency in winter conditions. The sipes are deeper than might be typical for an all-season tyre to enable controlled movement of the tread blocks to aid grip and traction in snow throughout its life.

The high silica content in the tread, coupled with stiffer blocks and inter-connected ‘bridges’ on the shoulders, combine to deliver high levels of wet and dry braking – the latter measured at 4% better than the equivalent non-EV all-season Vredestein tyre.

“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 tyres engineered for the specific characteristics and dynamic attributes of EVs. Additionally, the all-season tyre 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 tyre.”