Hiratsuka, Japan—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that it has begun supplying its RY01C tires to Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation for use as original equipment (OE) on its new model eCanter all-electric light-duty truck, which went on sale in Japan. The eCanter was first launched in 2017 as Japan’s first series-produced all-electric light-duty truck. The new eCanter is the first full model change. Yokohama Rubber is supplying 205/70R17.5 115/113N LT size RY01C tires for use as OE on the truck. This is the first time Yokohama Rubber has supplied one of its truck/bus tires as OE on an electric vehicle (EV).

The RY01C is a standard rib tire for light trucks that was developed with an emphasis on wear resistance. In addition to the low rolling resistance required by EVs and superior wear resistance demanded of light truck tires, the RY01C delivers excellent wet performance, thus providing the environmental, safety, and handling performance demanded of an OE tire for the new eCanter.

EV tires must deliver higher levels of environmental, safety, and comfort performance than ordinary tires. For example, lower rolling resistance is needed to extend the EV’s driving range, greater durability is needed to hold up under the higher load from the battery’s weight and the quick rise to maximum torque generated by electric motors, and the tires also must deliver a quiet ride to complement the lack of engine noise from EVs. Yokohama Rubber passenger car tires that meet these EV-specific performance requirements have been adopted as OE for use on many EVs, from premium cars to mini-vehicles. The company is now applying its accumulated know-how in EV tires to advance the development and sophistication of EV-compatible technologies for truck and bus tires. By providing EV tires for trucks and buses, Yokohama Rubber will meet diverse logistics needs and contribute to environmental management efforts of transportation companies.

In addition to strengthening its marketing of tires to be used as OE on EVs, which require tires made using the most advanced technologies, Yokohama Rubber is utilizing the feedback received from EV makers in its development of replacement tires as it seeks to expand its product lineup and improve the performance of all its tires to meet new requirements in this era of dynamic change.