Thailand-based Vee Rubber launched three new tires at the SEMA Show: Vitron, an all-season high performance tire; Winter Season III, a studdable snow tire; and Taiga Ice Axe, a studdable light truck snow tire.
The new lines are part of the company’s growing presence in North America. Sold through regional wholesalers and large tire dealerships – those with 20-plus locations – Vee estimates it will sell six times as many tires as in 2008, said Patrick Hyland, the company’s sales and marketing manager.
“Working with individual dealers and wholesalers gives them the opportunity to take Vee on as their brand, to promote themselves as having something their competition doesn’t,” he said.
The Vitron, which features an asymmetrical tread design that can be mounted with either side out, will be available in 21 sizes over the next two months. The tire’s “dual-nature” technology features a red side, which provides optimum performance in dry climates when mounted outside, and a blue side, which offers optimum wet performance when mounted outside. The tire also features four large circumferential grooves for water evacuation; horizontal sipes and grooves to enhance traction on ice; multiple pitch/phase variation for a smooth, quiet ride; and a constant contact design to reduce vibration and ensure longer mileage, the company said.
The Winter Season III, available now in seven sizes, features a square shoulder design for improved cornering, as well as scalloped edges for better traction in snow, according to Vee. The Taiga Ice Axe, currently available in six LT sizes, features an aggressive tread pattern with five circumferential grooves and interlocking center blocks for better water evacuation. The tire also features a stepped shoulder for biting edges, the tiremaker said.
