Japanese manufacturer Yokohama announced yesterday the release of a new ultra-low rolling resistance tire, especially created to fit the needs of the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. The Yokohama dB super E-spec will be the first of the new Eco-motion line of tires to go to Canada and will become available in October.
"There are currently more than 25,000 hybrid vehicles on the road in Canada and that number is expanding daily. Providing a replacement tire that meets these owners' high expectations for environmental performance - from design to manufacture to use – puts Yokohama on the ground floor of a market that we think will only grow in size and importance," Jonathon Karelse, Yokohama Canada marketing chief said in a release.
The tire, first introduced in the Japanese market in 2007, is manufactured with 80 percent non-petroleum materials in Japan. It provides 11 to 22 percent less rolling resistance than other tires in its class, as well as superior grip in both wet and dry conditions. This is a key requirement for delivering even better fuel economy in the already tree friendly Prius.
Additionally, the dB super E-spec comes with a light-weight, less air-permeable inner liner to help retain air pressure and ensure continued low rolling resistance, as well as providing a design which minimizes tire noise.
"By significantly reducing petroleum-derived oil and using orange oil and other natural elements instead, we've not only created a tire with extremely low rolling resistance but one that's made from more renewable resources than a conventional tire," Karelse added.
"There are currently more than 25,000 hybrid vehicles on the road in Canada and that number is expanding daily. Providing a replacement tire that meets these owners' high expectations for environmental performance - from design to manufacture to use – puts Yokohama on the ground floor of a market that we think will only grow in size and importance," Jonathon Karelse, Yokohama Canada marketing chief said in a release.
The tire, first introduced in the Japanese market in 2007, is manufactured with 80 percent non-petroleum materials in Japan. It provides 11 to 22 percent less rolling resistance than other tires in its class, as well as superior grip in both wet and dry conditions. This is a key requirement for delivering even better fuel economy in the already tree friendly Prius.
Additionally, the dB super E-spec comes with a light-weight, less air-permeable inner liner to help retain air pressure and ensure continued low rolling resistance, as well as providing a design which minimizes tire noise.
"By significantly reducing petroleum-derived oil and using orange oil and other natural elements instead, we've not only created a tire with extremely low rolling resistance but one that's made from more renewable resources than a conventional tire," Karelse added.