R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, FEB 1
In keeping with the Union government’s Green Drive and giving thrust to electric vehicles (EV), JK Tyre on Wednesday launched two low-resistance tyres for EVs – Ranger HPe and Ranger X-AT – tailor-made to handle extreme road conditions in Chennai.
- Company launches smart tyres that will give real-time updates about pressure, temperature and punctures to phone app
- Any JK Tyre can be retrofitted to be converted into a smart tyre
- The company will add 10 to 12 new JK Tyre’s dedicated brand shops ‘Steel Wheels and Xpress Wheels’ in Tamilnadu : Anuj Kathuria, President (India) JK Tyre & Industries
- The company invested over Rs. 500 Cr in its state-of-the-art Raghupathi Singhania Research and Development Centre at Mysore in Karnataka.
JK Tyre is betting there is a market for such specialised products and introduced tyres that give electric vehicles (EV) a longer run on a single charge by reducing resistance for Atmanirbhar Bharat. These smart tyres will give real-time updates about pressure, temperature and punctures to a driver’s mobile phone app.
Anuj Kathuria, President (India) JK Tyre & Industries unveiled the two new products for SUV segment in the presence of Srinivasu Allaphan, Director – Sales & Marketing and other top officials said that the company will add 10 to 12 new JK Tyre’s dedicated brand shops ‘Steel Wheels and Xpress Wheels’ in Tamilnadu in addition to the existing 21 exclusive shops.
The industry focus is on making fuel-efficient engines, but tyres too can help. “This becomes more relevant as the adoption of EVs increases. In an EV either one can reduce the dead-weight (batteries are a large part of EV weight) or one can overcome the rolling resistance,” Kathuria said.
Enjoy safer, smarter and stress free journeys at just Rs. 3 per day with JK Smart Tyre. Switch to Smart Tyre today! #SmartTyre #JKTyre #TotalControl pic.twitter.com/y6jnJV1Q3S
— JK Tyre (@JKTyreCorporate) January 30, 2023
Its smart tyres have sensors that will send alerts to a driver’s mobile app in case the temperature or pressure is beyond safety limits or there is a puncture. These sensors will be made by Treel, a subsidiary of JK Tyres.
The company will launch a smart tyre variant for commercial vehicles (CVs) to track location with GPS. It is working with large fleet owners for this product.
Invested over Rs. 500 Cr in its R & D Centre
Thinking ahead of time, the company has invested over Rs. 500 crore in its Raghupathi Singhania Research & Development Centre at Mysore in Karnataka, Anuj Kathuria added.
He said the launch is in sync with the company’s ongoing endeavor to identify and cater to its customer’s needs and provide highly advanced products that will further strengthen their existing product portfolio.
Anuj Kathuria said, “As India is on its way to becoming the global automobile manufacturing hub, the tyre industry too is expected to grow exponentially. With our technology prowess and capability to anticipate future demands, we are expanding our product portfolio quite aggressively across all segments. Chennai is an important market for us as it is home to one of our highly automated radial tyre plants that produces high-end tyres for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The new high-performance, safe and versatile products will upgrade our consumers’ driving experience.”
He also said that these new two variants are being produced in its Chennai plant.
Replying to a query, Anuj Kathuria said the company is exporting 15 per cent of its total production in India.
Officials said that that there is good response from the public for its Smart Tyre technology, as it will save lives, added Srinivasan Allaphan. He said that this technology could be adopted in the existing Tyres of the vehicles (any brand) from its brand shops with a minimal cost.
Amongst the cutting-edge technologies offered by JK Tyre, ‘Ranger’ is a multi-terrain, high performance SUV tyre series meant for all adventure enthusiasts. The new tyres featuring the most advanced technologies are developed specifically to cater to the unique mechanics and driving dynamics of modern-day SUVs.
Ranger HPe
As the automotive industry continues to evolve owing to the rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) sector, the new Ranger HPe developed with “XPolymer3” technology is designed to cater to the specifications of EVs by providing low rolling resistance as well as high level of driving comfort. The superior grip and handling with reduced noise even at higher speeds gives the customers an enhanced driving experience.
Ranger X-AT
The Ranger X-AT offers top performance even in the harshest driving conditions. Developed with technology that improves steering stability and durability, the tyre provides comfort, excellent traction and resistance to wear, both for on and off-road driving.
The company has 9 Tyre manufacturing plants across the nation and 3 in Mexico.
