Yokohama Rubber Unveils “BluEarth-Van RY55”

Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has unveiled the “BluEarth-Van RY55,” which is positioned as a new fuel-efficient tyre for vans. The tyre incorporates the Yokohama’s advanced BluEarth tyre technology. The tyres will be available at the retail level from March 2018, and will be sold in as many as 30 sizes ranging from 225/55R17C 109/107H to 185R14C 102/100S. Yokohama is planning to sell the tyres in Europe, Asia (excluding Japan), Oceania, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.

According to Yokohama, the tyre comes with a special tread pattern that is meant to increase fuel efficiency and wet grip performance. The focus while developing the “BluEarth-Van RY55” was on improvement of its wear resistance. Another notable characteristic of the new tyre is use of deep lugs and sipes on the shoulders to improve steering stability and drainage while minimizing the potential for uneven wear.
The “BluEarth-Van RY55” is fashioned from a new compound comprising a triple polymer to enhance the tyre’s durability and resistance to uneven wear as well as silica to improve fuel efficiency and wet grip performance. The tyre pattern has been revised for a more optimal surface contact shape and more uniform surface contact pressure. The outcome is that the “BluEarth-Van RY55” exhibits over 50 percent more wear resistance than the existing RY818 model. When it comes to wet braking distance, it is 9 percent shorter while the rolling resistance is less by 19 percent.

The BluEarth range of tyres is range that Yokohama has developed based on the concept of “environmentally, human, and socially friendly.” The range comprises the “BluEarth-Van RY55,” the high-performance, fuel-efficient “BluEarth-A”; the fuel-efficient “BluEarth RV-02” for minivans and crossover SUVs; and the brand’s standard, fuel-efficient “BluEarth-Es ES32.”