Times have certainly changed since the early 1800s when Charles Goodyear added sulphur to latex in a bid to cushion tyres for carriages and cycles. With today’s plethora of high-performance cars, coupled with demanding consumers, tyre manufacturers constantly have to evolve their products to seek out the role tyres can play to reduce fuel consumption along with CO2 emissions.
“It is important to not only be ahead of the curve when it comes to trends and forecasts but to continually innovate and develop better technologies,” says Mitchell Peeters, General Manager, Goodyear Middle East and Africa. “This could improve the tyre’s overall rolling resistance, supporting ongoing efforts to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 released from the car, while also maximising safety and performance.”
Green concerns
The environmental concerns of consumers are indeed a driving force when it comes to the future of tyres. “Consumers are now increasingly concerned about environmental impact,” says Mattia Bussacchini, General Manager, Pirelli, Middle East and India. “Pirelli is focused on developing a sustainable mobility, which means safety and environmental respect. This is our aim and commitment in any phase of our supply chain. Pirelli is focused on new green raw materials and systems [being]able to ensure the highest levels of safety and fuel savings. Even our production processes are oriented to save energy and water and to minimise environmental impact.”
Meanwhile at Goodyear, Peeters says that a recent development that it has been working on is its Air Maintenance Technology (AMT), which is currently being tested. “With AMT, tyres can remain inflated at the optimum pressure, without the need for any external pumps, electronics or driver intervention, leading to a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,” he says.
Any reduction in fuel consumption will no doubt be welcome news for car owners. “AMT will help ensure the optimum tyre pressure is maintained and as a result could mean substantial savings at the fuel pump because underinflated tyres result in between a 2.5 per cent and 3.3 per cent decrease in fuel economy, according to government and industry research,” says Peeters. “Properly inflated tyres are also necessary to keep the vehicle’s handling performance at optimal levels.”
Although being environmentally conscious is advantageous, motorists also look for high performance and Goodyear is offering the ideal combination. “We have recently launched our EfficientGrip Performance tyres,” says Peeters. “This range of tyres is built on our vision of innovation in performance tyres while being eco-friendly with its speciality of fuel-saving technology.”
Meanwhile tyre manufacturer Michelin is also helping motorists reduce fuel usage, particularly in gas-guzzling SUVs. “Michelin’s latest offer is the Michelin Latitude Sports 3 tyre designed specifically for on-road SUVs. This new tyre has been positively received by the market and is already homologated by some of the prestigious and high-performance SUV vehicle manufacturers as original factory equipment,” says Terry Khokhar, Passenger Car Product Marketing Manager, Michelin Africa, India, and Middle East. “The Michelin Latitude Sport 3 will allow on-road SUV drivers to experience unrivalled performance for safety through shorter braking distances, excellent comfort levels and the legendary Michelin longevity. This tyre also ranks best in SUV class for lowering fuel consumption.”
Worthwhile inventions
Certainly the tyre industry has encountered a demanding time and the consumer is now looking for tyres to perform in numerous different ways. “Michelin Total Performance technology enables us to provide tyres that have significantly improved overall performances in all areas,” says Khokar. “In other words, Michelin Total Performance technology is the combination of using high-quality innovative materials, with the right design know-how and state-of-the art manufacturing processes to deliver outstanding performance, whatever the parameter.”
The tyre industry looks set for many worthwhile innovations in the future. “Our research and development [department] always looks to deliver the best by adapting the features of our tyres to any specific environment and application. Pirelli is always looking at ways of doing things more efficiently,” says Bussacchini.
While costs need to be competitive as consumers shop around for good deals, the tyre industry also faces a number of rising challenges. So far they appear to have been successful in providing the consumer with what they need while continuing to make life easier for the motorist.
One of the most exciting developments in the tyre industry is the invention of new technology to combat the dreaded flat tyre problem. Perhaps this is one of the best inventions to have happened in recent years as Peeters says, “The Run On Flat technology on Performance tyres revolutionised the tyre industry. That and the fact that the end consumers are being more environmentally conscious today is driving the tyre industry to a more sustainable mobility in the future.”
