Frankfurt/Bremen, April 3, 2024  Environmentally friendly and without direct emissions: Electric drives have long since ceased to play a role only in individual mobility. Demand is steadily increasing in local public transport and also in freight transport. For many, range plays a central role. But how do you get particularly far with an electric truck? A larger battery is immediately obvious. But what else can be optimized? Among other things, the tyres. The first Volvo FM Electric truck from the Vollers Group uses innovative SAILUN Fuel Pro SDL2 truck tyres for the drive axle and SFL2 for the front axle. "Tyres in particular are often underestimated, but are highly relevant in the freight transport of the future. This is precisely why we work closely with vehicle manufacturers and technology companies and offer tyres specifically for these requirements," says Stephan Cimbal, Marketing Director SAILUN Europe. By equipping the Vollers Group's first E-truck in Bremen with innovative EcoPoint³ tyres, the SAILUN Group is facing up to the growing challenges in the area of environmental protection and sustainability in the transport system. The Vollers Group's E-truck is equipped with SAILUN tyres, which are based on the green EcoPoint³ technology and are produced with reduced resource consumption. They also minimize rolling noise, reduce carbon emissions and maximize fuel efficiency thanks to their innovative design. "The cost per kilometer and longer range categories are very important, especially in our industry," explains Christian Vollers, Managing Partner of the Vollers Group. This includes not only the purchase price and the service life or mileage, but also the fuel consumption. The good performance of the innovative SAILUN truck tyres has also been confirmed by the testing organization TÜV SÜD. It therefore awarded the SAILUN Fuel Pro SDL2 and SFL2 tyres the A label for energy efficiency thanks to their fuel-saving potential of up to 8 percent compared to conventional premium brands.


The local transport operations of the long-established logistics service provider for coffee, cocoa and tea by the Vollers Group is relying on tyre partner SAILUN for the introduction of its first electric commercial fleet vehicle. "Together, we are taking a sustainable approach by delivering to customers in a more sustainable, low-carbon way from now on," explained Christian Vollers at the presentation on the company premises in Bremen's port area. The EcoPoint³ tyre stands out not only in terms of economy (rolling resistance), but also in terms of wet handling and wet braking. "These tyres play a key role for us in decarbonization, as they offer many other advantages: They are quiet and contribute to lower noise pollution, especially in congested areas," continues Managing Director Christian Vollers. As with all electric drives, tyres also play a decisive role in the truck sector. "On the one hand, they are exposed to a higher torque when starting off and accelerating. At the same time, the tyres not only have to offer low rolling resistance, but also withstand higher loads than tyres for comparable vehicles with combustion engines. This is due to the higher weight of the particularly powerful batteries and the weight distribution of the electric tractor unit," explains Stephan Cimbal. In addition, the right tread compound and an optimized ground contact area of the tyre are important for lower rolling resistance. The latter primarily ensures even pressure distribution in the tyre. "The SAILUN Fuel Pro SDL2 in combination with the SFL2 enable consistently high mileages and extremely low rolling resistance, thus offering the essential characteristics for the economical operation of electrically powered commercial vehicles," emphasizes Cimbal.



Wear resistance was another important aspect of the development process. The abrasion-resistant compound based on EcoPoint³technology did not conflict with a compound for low rolling resistance. This also applies to the tyre's traction and therefore its braking performance, especially in wet conditions. "Our developers have succeeded across the board in harmonising all properties and consistently adapting them to the needs of customers in the truck industry," reports Stephan Cimbal. The latest generation of SAILUN truck tyres not only balances the conflicting objectives - particularly between mileage, braking and handling performance - at a high level. The tyres produced especially for E-trucks also last just as long as tyres for trucks with conventional drives and meet the same safety requirements. The purchase of the Volvo FM Electric E-truck is being subsidised by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport as part of the directive to promote light and heavy commercial vehicles with alternative, climate-friendly drive systems and the associated refuelling and charging infrastructure.

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Notes for editors:
Vollers Group - The Bremen-based Vollers Group has an extensive network of 13 strategically located sites in 8 countries. The service portfolio includes transport, import and export processing, warehousing and specialised services in the areas of contract logistics, supply chain management and IT solutions. With its fleet of trucks, the Vollers Group handles the entire spectrum for international customers, from organising transport by land, water or air to storage in certified warehousing facilities - from silo, refrigerated and outdoor storage to bonded warehouses.

SAILUN Group - SAILUN Tyre is part of the globally operating SAILUN Group, which was founded in 2002. Started as a technology and testing platform for tyres, the group is currently the twelfth largest tyre manufacturer in the world with the eleventh most valuable and fastest growing brand. To serve international markets around the globe, the SAILUN Group has a worldwide distribution network and numerous logistics centers in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. With a total production capacity of more than 80 million truck and car tyres and 160,000 tons of specialty tyres in 2022, SAILUN serves customers in more than 180 countries and regions around the world. 300 specialists are researching the tyres of the future and are constantly working with universities and research institutions to improve the new generations of tyres and make a sustainable contribution to customers, partners and the environment.
 

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