A year ago, Goodyear introduced a tire made from 70% sustainable materials.
The tire has so far passed all applicable regulatory testing.
Most often forget about tires when it comes to going “green.” Electric vehicles are a step in the right direction however tires are not quite evolving at the same rate as automobiles. As we know, tires are made with many materials which are toxic to the environment.
Somewhere between 2.5 and 2.75 billion new tires are produced globally every year. Though a considerable figure, it is expected to grow beyond the 3-billion mark in only a few years’ time. Reducing and possibly curbing their impact on the environment is thus a must.
Goodyear has developed a tire that is made up of materials that are 90% sustainably sourced.
“We continue to make progress toward our goal of introducing the first 100% sustainable-material tire in the industry by 2030,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer. “The past year was a pivotal one toward achieving this goal. We researched new technologies, identified opportunities for further collaboration and utilized our team’s tenacity to not only demonstrate our capabilities to produce a 90% sustainable-material tire, but to also produce a tire with up to 70% sustainable-material content this year. Our team continues to showcase its innovation and commitment to building a better future.”
Although the tire is ready for the road, Goodyear needs to solidify its supply base and identify the scale necessary for these innovative materials to produce that specific tire at high volumes.
Some of the sustainable materials in the tire include soybean oil and rice husk ash silica. Goodyear plans to begin production of these tires in 2023.
