To further strengthen its position in the Indian market, especially in the commercial vehicle (CV) segment, Apollo Tyres has introduced what it describes as a “breakthrough product in cross-ply technology”. The company hopes that the launch of the Apollo Abhimanyu, a cross-ply rib tire for steer axles in CVs, will help it capitalize on the upsurge in the cross-ply industry in recent months in India.
Apollo says it has tested the new tire for more than 2,500,000km, both at the company’s indoor testing facilities as well as in real-time conditions across all applications. Designed and developed at Apollo Tyres’ Global R&D Centre Asia, in Chennai, the tire is currently being produced at the company’s manufacturing unit in Perambra, Kerala. Apollo states that it intends to create a new benchmark in performance in the steer tire space, where the adoption of radials is lagging and bias tires still account for over 60% of the overall steer tire category.
The company claims the tire will deliver 15% better initial tread mileage (ITM) to ensure maximum profitability for customers, while the use of a heat-ageing-resistant casing ensures best-in-class durability, retreadability and casing value.
Furthermore, the tread compound also provides higher wear resistance and better distribution of rubber at wearing zones, along with the incorporation of a cavity design that ensures uniform pressure distribution across the footprint to provide maximum mileage. The tires also feature a carcass architecture which it is claimed provides better sidewall stiffness, coupled with a new generation off-shoulder design which improves heat dissipation and reduces stress marks, thereby keeping the carcass cooler.
Commenting on the launch, Satish Sharma, president, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), at Apollo Tyres, said, “The steer position is the most critical on any commercial vehicle, and the tire used on its steer axle position demands highest design precision and manufacturing controls. To continue our leadership position in the CV segment and create a benchmark in the cross-ply category, even when the radialization is happening at a fast pace, it is important for us to have such differentiating products.”
