Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has opened the Nayoro Indoor Ice Field (NICE), a new on-ice testing facility for winter tires. This has been set up as part of the company’s Nayoro Tire Proving Ground in Nayoro, Hokkaido. Established in 1991, the Nayoro Tire Proving Ground spans an area of 870,000 square meters. Sumitomo Rubber has now used this site...
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) is making a push to grow sales for its lineup of studless winter tires. Efforts here are centered on the iceGuard 6 line, which launched around four years ago and is known internationally as the iceGuard iG60. However, there is also a focus on the iceGuard 5 Plus, a mass-market line; the iceGuard SUV G075,...
Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) is planning an Aug. 1 launch in Japan for the Delvex M935, a studless tire model to be made available in 14 sizes. In designing the Delvex M935, Toyo Tires strove for high levels of both ice performance and wear resistance for use with light trucks running on winter roads, where conditions are continually changing. The...
Nihon Michelin Tire Co. Ltd. is looking to begin sales of the X-Ice Snow, a new studless winter tire, as part of a sequential launch starting on Aug. 11. The tire will be available in a total of 84 sizes. Compared to the existing X-Ice 3+, the X-Ice Snow brings a 9 percent improvement to braking performance on ice, as...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) plans to begin rolling out sales on Aug. 1 for the Winter Maxx 03, a studless winter tire with new rubber texturing technology that gives it the best ice performance of any Sumitomo Rubber tire. It will be available in a total of 98 sizes. Characterized by nanoscale bumps and hollows, the new nano-texturing technology...
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) is continuing to expand facilities at its Tire Test Center of Hokkaido (TTCH), a winter tire testing base located in the city of Asahikawa. This January, the company established a new handling course at the location with aims of putting this to use in evaluating tires for the domestic and European markets. Covered with compacted...
