Building on the impressive performance of the current Open Country A/T III, Toyo Tires has introduced an all-new Open Country A/T III EV, an electric-vehicle-specific all-terrain replacement tire, developed for the fast-growing EV truck and SUV segment.
Designed and manufactured in the USA, this on- and off-road tire is engineered to meet the requirements of electric vehicles, including instant torque, rapid acceleration, the additional weight and range efficiency.
According to Toyo, the all-new EV tire delivers exceptional off-road performance as well as on-road handling and ride comfort. It also qualifies for the severe snow service traction rating and is equipped with the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol for all-weather driving confidence.
Key features and benefits include innovative aerodynamic features, such as AeroWing, a smooth sidewall featuring high-contrast lettering and chamfered shoulder blocks to help reduce wind drag while maintaining rugged all-terrain performance. An optimized tread pattern and advanced tread compound provide reduced rolling resistance, improved durability and long tread wear life.
Todd Bergeson, senior manager of product planning and technical services at Toyo Tire’s USA corporation, said, “At the onset of this development, our goal was to support EV truck and SUV customers with a bespoke version of the Open Country A/T III, retaining the performance and appearance that our customers love, with innovative features added to maintain a high level of efficiency.”
“This state-of-the-art EV-specific all-terrain replacement tire for trucks and SUVs was designed, developed and tested at our R&D facility in White, Georgia. Each tire in our Open Country product family is designed to fit a specific application and we are proud to fulfill this need for our EV consumers.”
The tire will be produced in a wide range of sizes and high-load combinations for 18in to 24in wheel diameters.
The first LT size (LT275/60R20) will be available from February 2024 as an LT-metric upgrade for the Ford F-150 Lightning. Other OE and plus sizes of LT- and P/Euro-metric fitments have been developed and are planned to release later in 2024 for popular EV trucks and SUVs, such as the Rivian R1T/R1S and GMC Hummer EV.
Toyo Tires will continue to roll out more sizes as this segment grows with new vehicles becoming available in the future.
