Partnership between BYD and Linglong
In China, the market for new energy vehicles (NEV) is experiencing rapid growth, and one of the key tire suppliers in this segment is now Linglong Tire, which, according to the company, is due to the advantages of the products offered.
Linglong collaborates, among others, with BYD - a Chinese electric car manufacturer that in the fourth quarter of 2023 surpassed American Tesla in sales. In May of this year, BYD's passenger car sales grew by 38.2% compared to the same period in 2023, and total NEV sales reached 7.6 million units. At the same time, Linglong tires have been homologated for a range of the company's most popular models, such as the BYD Qin Plus, Song Plus, and Yuan Plus, and agreements have recently been signed to supply tires for the Yuan UP, Qin L, and Seal 06.
As noted by Linglong, close cooperation with BYD not only confirms the advantages of affordable tires but also "demonstrates the company's accurate understanding of market trends". Thus, for the recently introduced BYD Qin LDM-i and Seal 06 DM-I, tires have been prepared that provide a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 2.9 l/100 km. The standard equipment of both models includes Linglong Green-Max HP 200 tires, developed with a focus on reducing environmental damage.
Linglong also collaborates with other NEV manufacturers, including GM-Wuling, FAW, Geely, and Dongfeng Nissan. Just last year, the company's supplies in this segment exceeded 9 million units.
"The reason Linglong Tire has achieved such excellent results in the energy-efficient tire sector is that the company constantly conducts research and development of tires for new-type vehicles," the company says. "Since NEVs have higher requirements for tires in terms of durability, mass, performance, and noise, Linglong Tire continues to create high-quality and high-performance tires for this market."
One of Linglong's recent innovations is the summer tire Linglong Sport Master e, developed specifically for use on electric and hybrid vehicles and optimized to reduce energy consumption and noise. The company also offers tires with noise reduction features (with a sound-absorbing material layer in the design) and self-sealing functions (automatically sealing punctures in the tread), which allow for improved comfort and safety. Linglong's list of partners includes world-renowned brands such as BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, General Motors, etc., and in 2024, the company officially became a tire supplier for the VW Tiguan in the European market, which is the first such achievement for a Chinese manufacturer in the region.
Linglong adds that as the popularity of NEVs continues to grow, the company will further utilize its capabilities to release even more efficient tires for this sector and contribute to its development, and in the future, it plans to become a leader in this segment of the tire market.