Goodyear Joins US SmartWay Partnership

On April 22 Goodyear announced its entry into the US Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership. SmartWay is a collaboration between the truck transportation industry and the EPA to increase energy efficiency and significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution, and the organisation has previously endorsed using Goodyear’s Fuel Max line haul tyres on SmartWay tractors and trailers.

“We continue to do our part for the environment with our innovative technologies that reduce tyre rolling resistance and energy use at all facilities and eliminate all waste disposal in landfills. We also offer solution-based business tools that calculate fuel consumption and help fleets lower their costs of operation,” said Steve McClellan, Goodyear vice president of Commercial Tire Systems.

“Through the SmartWay Transport Partnership, we see opportunities to further our relationships with America’s fleets and truck and trailer manufacturers in the pursuit of even greater gains in fuel efficiency and emission reductions. The savings are substantial,” McClellan added.

The Fuel Max line-haul tyres deliver up to 4 per cent improved truck fuel economy, reports Goodyear, and when used with other SmartWay-qualified components, each 18- wheel tractor and trailer used in long-haul can produce savings of up to 15,000 litres per year, or more than US$11,000 annually, according to Goodyear and EPA officials. Goodyear tyres featuring Fuel Max Technology include the Unisteel G395 LHS steer tyre, Unisteel G305 LHD drive tyre and Unisteel G316 LHT trail tyre in standard (11R22.5) and low profile (295/75R22.5 and 285/75R24.5) sizes.

While Goodyear officials cite up to a 4 percent hike in fuel economy with the new tyres, actual Society of Automotive Engineers lab test results reportedly showed an 8 per cent improvement in fuel economy compared with standard Goodyear over-the-road tyres. The difference between these two figures reflects adjustments for real- world variations, including vehicle speed, idling time, varying road grades and different driving styles.

McClellan suggested that fleets and owner-operators consider specifying equipment to improve fuel economy, even if it means retrofitting existing vehicles. SmartWay has developed a set of specifications to help guide the process and even offers low-cost loans to make it easier. In addition, several truck makers are now selling trucks that are SmartWay-certified as being highly fuel-efficient vehicles.

By 2012, SmartWay aims to save between 12.5 and 25 billion litres of diesel and eliminate between 33 and 66 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and up to 200,000 tonnes of nitrous oxide emissions per year.