The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that from the second half of 2023 it will be applying a new proprietary "E+" mark to its tires for passenger cars, trucks, and buses that have special qualities needed by electrified vehicles. The new "E+" mark is the latest facet of Yokohama Rubber's response to the rising demand in recent years for tires most suitable for use on electrified vehicles.

Tires installed on electrified vehicles must be able to meet the special needs of those vehicles. For instance, the tires must have the strength to withstand the higher loads associated with heavy electric batteries as well as the electric motor's high torque output. The tires also must have a quietness quality that complements the lack of noise from the vehicle's engine. They also must contribute to the vehicle's efficient use of electricity and other energy sources and expand the vehicle's driving range.

Yokohama Rubber is currently supplying its tires as original equipment (OE) for a number of electrified vehicles, including such premium cars as BMW iX3, Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+, and Lexus RZ, crossover SUVs from Toyota Motor (the bZ4X) and Subaru (the SOLTERRA), and mini-vehicles such as the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi Motors' eK X EV. Yokohama Rubber also is accelerating its development of replacement market tires for electrified vehicles by applying various technologies cultivated through its development of OE tires.

In addition to displaying this new "E+" mark on the sidewall of YOKOHAMA tires that incorporate these technologies to meet the special needs of electrified vehicles, the "E+" mark will be prominently displayed in tire catalogues and websites so that customers will be able to understand that a tire is suitable for use on electrified vehicles and facilitate their tire selection. The first YOKOHAMA tire to bear the "E+" mark will be the new ADVAN Sport EV, an ultra-high performance summer tire for EVs that the company plans to launch in Europe and other markets from autumn 2023.