Apollo Announces a New Quatrac Pro EV Model
As car manufacturers make more and more hybrid and electric vehicles, tire manufacturers follow the trend. Among the many companies that have announced dedicated EV tires, we have Apollo.
The news that Apollo will release an EV tire under the Vredestein brand isn’t something new. They announced it a while back, but as we approach the release date, the company released some additional information.
Vredestein’s latest addition to its lineup will fall in the Quatrac family of tires. The model, named Quatrac Pro EV, as the name suggests, should put a smile on electric vehicle owners. With that, hybrid cars should also benefit from the advantages it can bring to the table.
For starters, Apollo announced the tire will be constructed using new materials. There isn’t a ton of information on this yet, but we know that the silica gets combined with 4th-gen polymers. The blend should provide the tire with excellent performance on wet roads, without increasing rolling resistance.
While most all-season tires have the M+S rating, Vredestein’s Quatrac Pro EV will be 3PMSF rated. The result of this should be a better winter performance, without some of the drawbacks. Unlike some of its rivals, the construction of the tire is lighter. This is achieved by designing the tire with thinner sidewalls and lighter materials for the belt. Keep in mind that all of this is done in a way that won’t make the tire unsafe or “weak”.
Finally, the design of the Quatrac Pro EV is changed to adhere to the EV theme. Considering the type of vehicles it’s designed for, Apollo worked on reducing the noise generated from the tire. Changing the design also opened the door to make modifications in terms of handling.
Part of the design changes are to help the tire cope with heavy EVs. To improve the tire’s ability to handle loads in the corners, the design feature longitudinal grooves and steeper flanks. Deformation is also a possibility, which is why the outside shoulder is wider. As a bonus, this part of the tire should help it corner better.
Overall, the Quatrac Pro EV seems to tick all the right boxes, on paper at least. As for real-world performance, as soon as I get my hands on a set, I’ll let you know.
