Goodyear EfficientGrip OE on Electric Renault Fluence

The prototype tyre containing the BioIsoprene technology developed by Goodyear and Genencor is gaining much attention at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, yet Goodyear points out that products it has already made available to consumers are also represented at the high profile event. The tyre major notes that journalists covering the conference are being transported around the Danish capital in a pre-production example of the electric-powered Renault Fluence Z.E. fitted with its EfficientGrip tyres.

The recently released Goodyear EfficientGrip is already available across Europe in various sizes, and in size 205/55R16 the tyre will be exclusive OE fitment on the upcoming electric version of the Renault Fluence saloon. Series production of the Fluence Z.E. will get underway in the first half of 2011, Goodyear notes, with Denmark and Israel the first markets to receive the new vehicle.

“Since up to 20 per cent of a car’s energy consumption can be accredited to its tyres, the tyres’ rolling resistance level is an important parameter, especially for a battery-powered car such as the Renault Fluence Z.E,” commented Jean-Pierre Jeusette, Goodyear’s director Tyre Technology Consumer Tyres for Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Renault came to us with the objective to present to them a tyre with extremely low rolling resistance levels and – at the same time – very high levels of dry and wet performance. We are proud that the new EfficientGrip convinced Renault. Thanks to EfficientGrip’s proven performance on the current Megane 3, Renault has selected Goodyear as exclusive tyre development partner for the Renault Fluence Z.E.”