Osaka, Japan - 9 March, 2016 -Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. (Takashi Shimizu, president) announces that the company's NanoEnergy brand tire has been adopted by Toyota as the original equipment tire for the new Prius, which went on sale in December 2015 in Japan.

NanoEnergy is Toyo's global fuel-efficient tire brand. In order to strike a balance between fuel efficiency and wet grip performance, Toyo Tires developed Nano Balance Technology*1, a proprietary platform technology for designing rubber materials at the molecular-level.

Using this technology, the company developed an original equipment tire that achieves both the high basic functionality and superior environmental performance demanded by the new Prius.

The NanoEnergy series will be used as the original equipment tire in Japan as well as in Europe, North America and other overseas markets where the new Prius is sold.

Original equipment tire overview

*1 In order to reduce energy loss during braking, Toyo Tires developed Nano Balance Technology, which controls rubber material development at the molecular-level. This proprietary tire technology platform integrates four nano-level elements of research, analysis, design and production of rubber materials into a technology development process that achieves tire technology innovation for the next generation.

Click here for more details on Nano Balance Technology:
http://www.toyo-rubber.co.jp/english/rd/nano/

*Toyo Tires received permission from Toyota Motors to use the vehicle images in this release.
Reuse and reproduction is prohibited.

Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. issued this content on 09 March 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 09 March 2016 02:03:19 UTC

Original Document: http://www.toyo-rubber.co.jp/english/news/2016/160309.html