Every time an automaker announces a green signature label, one of the factory-installed features to reduce fuel consumption is probably low-rolling resistance tires. French magazine Autoplus did a test drive on a regular car, to see how much fuel these tires save. The magazine wanted to run the test because France is considering adopting a bonus/malus system on these tires for 2010, whereby tires that save fuel would get a tax exemption.

For the challenge, Autoplus got two Peugeot 308s, one fueled by gasoline and the other fueled by diesel, and they kept on changing their tires. They tested fuel consumption with regular tires and with "CO₂ reducing tires." Their verdict? Keep security in mind. Only low-rolling resistance tires that came from well-known brands (Michelin, Goodyear, Continental and Pirelli) performed correctly and kept braking distances and other security features almost intact. Their winner was Michelin (which are made in France) which stayed safe while offering fuel savings of 1 percent with gasoline and 3.8 with diesel fuel. Of course, it doesn't matter if your tires are lrr type or not - keep them properly inflated.

[Source: Autoplus]

Goodyear has announced that it has joined the EPA's Smartway Transport partnership. Smartway is a program aimed at reducing pollution from road freight transport and offers low-cost loans to make it easy for those in the truck industry to install fuel efficiency devices such as low-rolling resistance tires or to certify new vehicles as fuel-efficient. Goodyear also stated that its Fuel Max Line line of tires can reduce fuel consumption by four percent. By using these tires and other Smartway-certified components, Goodyear and EPA announced that a 18-wheeler can save up to 4,000 gallons of fuel per year.

Through SmartWay, the EPA aims to reduce between 3.3 and 6.6 billion gallons of diesel consumption and eliminate between 33 and 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and up to 200,000 tons of nitrous oxide emissions per year by 2012.

[Source: Goodyear, EPA]

Goodyear has announced that its truck division has released two fuel-saving tires for two different applications: the Unisteel G149 RSA RH tire for on-highway regional service and the Unisteel G150 HSA for school bus and city or neighborhood driving. The first one is "tuned" for longer wear, with a thread footprint modified for wear evenness. This assures that less fuel is burned when driving.

The second one features protector ribs that help resist sidewall damage from the sharp turns and curbs encountered in neighborhood driving. It also helps avoid some of the air losses due to small curb impacts, which can reduce tires air pressure and therefore increase fuel consumption.

[Source: Goodyear]

Sustainable and renewable materials - such as cornstarch - are going to be sources for Goodyear's new greener tires. Goodyear announced that it's developing a new line of low rolling resistance tires which will not only save some fuel, but are more "respectful for the environment," since they require less CO₂ to be produced than standard Goodyear tires. Cornstarch is going to be added as "biologic" filling as a substitute for silicon and soot, both of which are usually obtained from oil. Goodyear has teamed up with Novamont, an Italian R+D company, BMW and obtained funds from the European Life Program to develop the tires.

[Source: Motorspain]

The transition to alternative fuel economies will take some time. While individuals are making their own biodiesel and converting their cars to run on SVO, and companies are starting to produce serious amounts of biofuels, rubber barons Goodyear has introduced a new hose that is compatible with the different chemicals in biodiesel. Goodyear is introducing these biodiesel hoses for industrial use at all stages of biodiesel distribution.
An “industrial hose marketing manager” for Goodyear said other hoses could degrade when used with the new fuels, but not Goodyear’s. The announcement was made at the National Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution annual convention in Colorado Springs, CO.