Yokohama starts production of tires geared to EVs, hybrids

HIRATSUKA, Japan—Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. on March 20 began production of heavy load capacity tires, in response to demand from electric vehicles and hybrids with high capacity batteries.

The needs of large sport-utility vehicles also impacted the decision to begin HLC production, according to Yokohama.

"Yokohama Rubber is actively promoting the response to the electric vehicles and large SUVs, which have been increasing in recent years, and is developing tires tailored to high load capacity and various other vehicle characteristics," the company said in a news release.

The world's eighth-largest tire maker, according to the 2022 Rubber News' Global Tire Report, said it will develop the HLC tires for OE fitments as well as the replacement market.

As the number of heavy duty cars increases with the onset of EVs, tire needs are changing rapidly, Yokohama said.

Many cars and SUVs can no longer use extra load (XL as opposed to HLC) tires, which have difficulty balancing high load capacity and performance.

HLC tires have a higher air pressure and load capacity than XL tires, at about 2,204 pounds per tire against XL tires at about 1,900 pounds of load capacity per tire.

The HLC tires are being developed as a new tire size in concert with European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization standards, according to Yokohama.

"HLC tires require advanced technology to ensure quietness and handling stability while maintaining high load durability," Yokohama said. "Through repeated simulations of failures caused by high loads, Yokohama Rubber has developed the dedicated profile for HLC tires that achieves a balance between load durability and other performance characteristics, with less heat generation and strain under high loads than standard tires."

When Yokohama released its three-year, medium-term management plan in 2021, the company sought to maximize sales ratios of high-value-added tires, namely the flagship Advan brand, Geolander SUV and pickup truck tires, and various winter tires.

The Tokyo-based company saw tire sales of $5.26 billion in 2021, representing about 86 percent of its corporate sales, according to Rubber News' data.