Chinese brands and products tend to have a bit of a bad rep, thanks to a history of copycat designs and poor quality in the recent past. This public perception extends to tyres too, with unproven track records and “too good be true pricing”, although as AUTA’s Tyre Test 2022 has proved, Chinese tyres can perform just as well as premium Western companies (in brand-new condition at least).

But has the time now come for the tide to start turning? Chinese manufacturer Sailun Tyre Group thinks it is, as it claims it has made a breakthrough that will “revolutionise” the tyre industry. This new technology is called EcoPoint³, and utilises a production process called “liquid phase mixing” which allows the rubber compound’s raw materials to be mixed more uniformly, thus improving its consistency. Apparently, liquid phase mixing is suitable for producing any type of tyre, be it UHP, touring, all-season, or winter.

According to Sailun, EcoPoint³ “not only improves a tire’s rolling resistance, but also enhances traction and provides more durable tire wear resistance”. That’s a claim that seems to be backed up by the experts: In an article on LinkedIn, David Shaw, CEO of Tire Industry Research, states:

“Liquid-mixed compounds deliver much higher strength and this translates to a significant improvement in tread life, with no penalty in either fuel economy or wet grip.”

Sailun also claims that EcoPoint³ has already won several international tire technology awards. It’ll make its debut in the upcoming ERANGE EV, a brand-new flagship tyre line specifically designed for electric vehicles (EVs), and will be made exclusively using EcoPoint³ technology.

In addition to the improved rolling resistance and durability, ERANGE EV tires will also feature increased load-bearing capacity to account for the extra weight of EV batteries, as well as tread patterns and compounds that will be optimised to handle the instant torque of EVs.

Sailun tyres aren’t available in Singapore yet, although one of the other brands under its umbrella, Rovelo, can be found here. EV tyres may be in their infancy, but if China’s electric cars are anything to go by, their tyres could be a formidable new player too.