The Tire Cologne 2024: Grand Appearance by Falken

At the Falken stand, we were already awaited by product planner Phillip Wolz and Kerstin Schneider, who oversees the media. And Wolz had much to show, as Falken had significantly ramped up: In the innovation channel, the Falken Azenis RS820, the Falken Wildpeak R/T 01, as well as the newcomer Falken Ziex ZE320 were presented. Cleverly executed: The walk through the elements led along a section of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which was driven by a Falken Motorsport Porsche. This LED video runway garnered plenty of attention. Another crowd-puller was an iRacing driving simulator, highlighting Falken's increasing commitment to eSports and attracting numerous motorsport enthusiasts.

Wolz placed great emphasis on the Ziex ZE320, which follows the Ziex ZE310 Ecorun, now without the Eco addition. As early as the summer of 2024, the first twelve dimensions of this novelty are expected to arrive in European warehouses. An additional 48 sizes will expand the offering by spring 2025. And although the "Ecorun" addition is dropped, the new model is even more "eco" and environmentally friendly than its predecessor. The planned 60 different sizes encompass diameters from 15 to 18 inches for speeds up to 270 km/h (alongside "H" and "V" also with the speed index "W"). The new, more sustainable product is being manufactured in Turkey with an environmentally friendly filler, which according to Wolz will result in a significant noise reduction, especially important for electric cars.

According to Wolz, a significant part of this is due to the clever use of silica, through which target conflicts could be alleviated: customers still place high value on long service life and low wear along with strong wet grip. Nonetheless, rolling resistance, especially in electric cars, should decrease as well as the noise level. However, they are on the right track: Initial learning processes in handling silica-enriched rubber mixtures have been completed very successfully over the past 30 years.

Silica is derived from burnt rice husks instead of sand

And Falken is also switching to organic material here, as Wolz explained to us: Until now, silica has primarily been obtained from special sand. However, the inorganic substance is also found in the husk of rice grains. Sumitomo Rubber Industries, LTD., Falken's parent company, has now succeeded in producing silica from organic raw materials. Simply put, the rice husks are burned in the process, with the released energy being used for other tasks. SRI has extracted usable silica for tire production from the ash of the burnt organic materials. Compared to raw material extraction from sand, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced with the newly developed process.

The heat generated from burning the rice husks is converted into electrical energy, which can be used in the further processing process. Thus, producing rice-based silica releases less CO2 compared to conventional production of the filler, which has become indispensable for good tire performance. Auto Zeitung had already tested the Ziex ZE320 and found: In initial tests, the newcomer significantly improved on all fronts and achieved an overall very strong performance. Even though the nickname "Ecorun" is dropped, rolling resistance should "noticeably" decrease.