Nexen Tire said on the 22nd that it will supply original equipment (OE) tires to BYD, the Chinese automaker. This is the first time Nexen Tire has signed an OE supply deal with BYD. As BYD sells electric vehicles in major regions including Europe, Nexen Tire plans to speed up its push into the global market.
Nexen Tire decided to supply OE tires for BYD's electric sedan "Seal 6 (SEAL 6)" and the small electric car "Dolphin Surf." The product for the Seal 6 is the high-performance summer tire "N'Fera Sport (N'FERA Sport)." Used also on vehicles exported globally such as to Australia, it is cited for key performance attributes including high-speed stability.
The Dolphin Surf will be fitted with the high-efficiency summer tire "N'Blue S (N'Blue S)." Dolphin Surf is BYD's global model name for the vehicle known domestically as the Seagull. The N'Blue S reduces rolling resistance to improve electric efficiency and enhances wet braking and water evacuation performance. It was designed to meet Europe's strengthened carbon emission regulations.
Nexen Tire has supplied tires to global automakers starting with Porsche, and including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen. It also supplied OE for Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 6 and Nexo, and Kia's EV3.
A Nexen Tire official said, "We will use this supply as a starting point to further expand our partnership with BYD and strengthen our push into the global electric vehicle market."