Yokohama to 'Showoff' EV tires at Electrify Expo

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC), looking to grow its brand among electric-vehicle (EV) enthusiasts, will host the Electrify Showoff Driven by Yokohama as part of Electrify Expo, a seven-city EV festival that kicks off in Long Beach, Calif. on May 19.

"Yokohama has held a place in the enthusiast aftermarket for a long time, so it's great to see a new wave of enthusiasts creating a new EV car culture before our eyes," Andrew Briggs, YTC vice president of marketing and product management, said.

"Yokohama has a long history of providing tires for all categories, and EVs are no exception. Yokohama was standard equipment on the original Tesla Roadster, and we continue to exceed the needs of a continuously changing market."

The Electrify Showoff is a EV car show and will also feature a number of brand exhibitors, including tire makers YTC and Toyo Tires. Yokohama will have various EV motorsports vehicles and special EV builds on display at different Electrify Expos.

Electrify Expo is a weekend festival featuring demonstrations and ride-and-drives of EVs — from the latest truck and cars to E-bikes, scooters, skateboards and watercraft. The Expo will visit seven cities this year: Long Beach, Calif., May 19-21; San Francisco, Calif., June 24-25; Washington, D.C., July 22-23; New York City, August 12-13; Seattle, Wash., Sept. 9-10; Miami, Fla., Oct. 14-15; and Austin, Texas, Nov. 10-12.

"The response we have received since launching Electrify Showoff from both brands and enthusiasts proves that we have filled an important void in the space," BJ Birtwell, founder and executive producer of Electrify Expo, said.

Later this year, YTC plans to introduce an ultra high-performance all-season tire specifically targeted for electric vehicles.

YTC has developed EV-specific race tires for Nitrocross' Group E class.

Additionally, the brand will be returning to Pikes Peak this year, once again partnering with Unplugged Performance and the Tesla Model S Plaid. The effort will be supported by Advan A005 racing slicks, which utilize biomass-derived butadiene rubber and an increased usage of sustainable materials, the company said.