Indian Multinational tyre manufacturer, Apollo Tyres has launched specific tyres for Electric Vehicles, for both passenger vehicles and two-wheelers in the Indian market. Introduced under two sub-brands Amperion for passenger vehicles and WAV for two-wheelers, the company claims that the new range of EV tyres will be the first of its kind in India and aims to grab a large share fetching on the accelerated rise of electric vehicles in India.

Apollo Amperion claims to offer best-in-class rolling resistance, low noise, electric tread pattern design and aerodynamic sidewall and is compatible with EVs of every shape, from hatchbacks to sedans to SUVs like Hyundai Kona, Tata Nexon, MG ZS EV and other upcoming EVs. This tyre is available with 195mm and 215mm tread sizes both targeted at SUVs with 16 and 17-inch wheels.

Amperion is the first India-made tyre to receive a fuel savings label with a 5-star rating for the PV category by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), India.

The Apollo WAV two-wheeler tyre features a specialised design to offer low rolling resistance, lightweight, and high traction to handle the immediate torque.  The tyre is designed to cater to high-speed scooters like Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube etc. Moreover, due to low demand at present, The company plans to develop EV tyres for motorcycles in the next phase, once there are more electric motorcycle options in the market.

Speaking at the launch of EV tyres on August 1, Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd said, “Tyre design and manufacturing have always evolved along with the automobiles. Our teams have invested years of research to understand the changing dynamics and requirements of vehicles in the EV space to perfect the product that we are launching today. We are already in discussions with multiple OEMs in India to supply these tires for the electric vehicles, and will be targeting a lion’s share in the EV space in India, in both PV and two-wheeler segments.”

The company had to come up with distinctive technology to build these new tyres. The new technology called “AQuT Tech” (Apollo Quiet Tyre Technology) works on tyre cavity, pattern and construction to reduce Noise. Also for the extended battery range of an electric vehicle, the company has developed ‘BEST Tech’ or ‘Battery Energy Saver Technology’ that is deployed using an ultra-low RR technology package.

The exact pricing of Amperion and WAV tyres has not been revealed yet. However, a brand spokesperson stated that the tyres will be available for a 5% premium over similarly sized conventional tyres. Also, the company is in talks with several OEMs to supply the tyres that will be put on the assembly line.