In Kazakhstan, a new tire brand has been launched
Kazakhstan's Freedom Drive trading company, which is part of the large Freedom Holding Corp. holding company, has introduced its own tire brand called Freedom Drive. The new lineup, which includes winter condition tires, is released by the Chinese Wanli Tire, which has equipped at least two of them with tread patterns from its own models.
As part of the promotion of the new Kazakhstani brand, local bloggers tested the tires for strength at low temperatures, and one of them placed the tire in an industrial freezer for three days, while the second froze it for a week. After that, they hit the tires with a heavy tool - after a seven-day freeze, an axe was needed to crack the ice - and the company emphasizes that "in both cases, the tires showed themselves from the best side - without any damage, cracks or deformations".
"Fresh experiments by Kazakhstani bloggers are a vivid example of the fact that Freedom Drive creates truly durable winter tires," the company adds. "They cope not only with extreme strength tests but also with real road conditions in winter Kazakhstan".
According to the Freedom Drive website, currently, two tire models are available in Almaty under the new brand:
Freedom Drive Winter Cross Snow Grip (SG). A non-studded tire with an asymmetrical tread pattern (from the Wanli SW312 model), which includes two wide channels in the inner zone, accelerating the removal of water and slush, while one of the two grooves in the outer zone has a reduced width and a zigzag shape, which increases the contact patch and improves handling - and, consequently, safety - on snow-covered or icy surfaces.
The number of blocks and transverse grooves has been increased, which, in combination with the fact that all channels are connected to each other, increases the traction force on snow, while numerous zigzag-shaped lamellas increase the grip on various slippery surfaces. In addition, special bridges between the blocks increase the stiffness of the tread and improve handling, and the saw-toothed walls of the straight longitudinal grooves reduce the braking distance and accelerate acceleration on snowy roads.
Freedom Drive also notes that the tread pattern is optimized for both increased safety and comfortable handling, as well as reduced noise, while a special compound maintains softness even in severe frosts, supporting a stable level of grip.
16 sizes are offered, from 185/65 R15 to 255/45 R20, and prices range from 24.4 to 43.1 thousand tenge (3.65-6.45 thousand rubles).
Freedom Drive North Claw. A studded model with an aggressive tread design (from the Wanli SW631 tires), which accelerates water dissipation and was also designed to reduce the likelihood of skidding when used on snow and ice. The outer sides of the projector have lightning-shaped channels, which, like the hook-shaped grooves in the center, increase the effectiveness of braking in winter conditions, and the tires also have a sufficient number of anti-skid studs (200 pieces in the 205/55 R16 size), which will contribute to increased grip when driving on ice.
According to Freedome Drive, computer simulation technology was used in the development process, which made it possible to optimize the scheme for arranging the studs (several are located in the central rib, which is a distinctive feature of the tire) and maximize grip in difficult conditions.
13 sizes are available, from 185/65 R14 to 225/45 R18, and the tires are offered at prices ranging from 22.2 to 47.1 thousand tenge (3.3-7 thousand rubles).
In the future, the brand's lineup is planned to include four more winter tires (all of the non-studded type), which will be called Ice Ray, Smart Grip, Polar Ice, and Snow Brake.
It is also reported that the novelties are distinguished by increased frost resistance of the rubber compounds and an enhanced design of the side walls, which increases impact and puncture resistance, while the tread patterns are designed to enhance grip on snowy and icy surfaces, and production at the Wanli plant in Guangzhou is carried out with "minimal carbon footprint", and international certification was passed in the Netherlands.
Photo: kazpravda.kz