SINGAPORE — Private-brand tire distributor Omni United Pte. Ltd. is planning to enhance its Radar-brand product portfolio with lines of tires designed for use on electric vehicles (EVs), starting in early 2023 with an EV "compatible" offering followed by a dedicated premium range.
Citing Singapore-based Omni United's heritage of taking a "forward-thinking" approach to sustainability as early as 2013 with its Radar brand, President and CEO GS Sareen stressed that his company wants "to continue investing in a cause that we have believed in since more than a decade back."
"We want our dealers and consumers to have access not only to sustainable mobility solutions," Sareen said, "but also stress on the importance of a product that meets the growing electric vehicle market needs while leveraging cutting-edge style and design."
Sareen described his company's EV strategy as a two-pronged approach, starting with "EV-compatible" ranges in early 2023 based on existing Radar lines, like the all-season Dimax R8+ in North Amerca and high-performance RPX 800-E for Europe and Asia.
Versions of these products, re-engineered with lowered rolling resistance and increased tread wear resistance, are undergoing testing ahead of their expected commercial launches in the first quarter of 2023, Sareen said.
These engineering changes are designed to help improve vehicle range between charges, reduce wear from the high torque levels EV produce and improve wet braking and improved handling characteristics, the company said.
In Phase II of the EV strategy, Omni United plans to offer a dedicated range of premium EV tires designed in collaboration with the Italian automotive design house GFG Style. This range will feature a summer pattern and be launched throughout 2023 initially for the European market in 16 sizes covering 18- to 21-inch rim diameters.
The Phase II tires will incorporate engineering designed to handle the higher load-carrying capabilities deemed necessary to accommodate the additional weights of EVs' battery packs and to reduce noise generation, along with the lowered rolling resistance and tread compounding improvements of the Phase I development.
In terms of sustainability, Sareen points to Omni United's efforts as early as 2013 to make the Radar brand carbon neutral.
Omni United did not at this time comment on which tire manufacturer partner or partners it's working with to develop the EV ranges.
Omni United serves customers in the U.S. through its Omnisource business unit, which operates through mixing warehouses.
