Goodyear long haul truck tyres take top fuel grade
Goodyear has followed its announcement that it will exhibit AA-labelled concept passenger car tyres at Reifen 2012 with the news that its Marathon LHT II long haul trailer tyre has achieved an A grade in fuel economy. The manufacturer says that fitting a combination of its Marathon LHS II + steer tyres, LHD II + drive tyres and LHT II trailer tyres to a typical five-axle 40 tonne truck could equip the vehicle with a fuel-saving combination of six A-grade, two B-grade and four C-grade tyres, depending on tyre size. The tyres also score well in the wet grip and noise emissions categories.
Boris Stevanovic, marketing director Truck Tyres, Goodyear Dunlop EMEA states: “The Goodyear Marathon Long Haul tyre range offers outstanding fuel economy and now, thanks to the new European Tyre Labelling regulation, truck operators can see for themselves which tyres are best for fuel efficiency. They also need to bear in mind tyre life, in particular with respect to mileage – even if this information is not included on the label. The combination of the Goodyear Marathon LHS II +, LHD II + and LHT II really is a ‘Dream Team’, offering truck operators great fuel economy along with very good wet grip and low noise.”
In addition to the A-rating in the sizes 385/55R22.5 and 435/50R19.5, the Marathon LHT II also achieves a C-grade for wet grip in four sizes and has low noise levels. The company exemplifies the significance of this by explaining that the six tyres on most semitrailers account for 50 per cent of the total rolling resistance of the truck and trailer combination. Sizes 385/65R22.5 and 275/70R22.5 score respectively B and C. All four of the aforementioned sizes are rated C for wet grip, while two LHT II sizes achieve one bar-rated noise levels of 70dBA.
The recently-introduced Goodyear Marathon LHS II + and LHD II + steer and drive tyres were tested alongside the LHT II by TÜV Süd Automotive in sizes 315/70R22.5 (steer and drive) and 385/65R22.5 (trailer). The results showed that both tyres outperformed their test competitors in terms of rolling resistance: the LHS II + steer tyre was 3-19 per cent better; the LHD II + was in one case equal to the competition and in the other cases up to 16 per cent better; and the LHT II trailer tyre was 12-28 per cent better than the competitors.
In terms of label grades, three LHS II + sizes score B in both fuel economy and in wet braking with between 70 and 71dBA (one or two bars) for noise ratings. In the LHD II + range, three sizes rate C in both fuel economy and wet braking, giving noise levels of between 73 and 75dBA (two or three bars). Goodyear also points out that the tyres are M+S rated, meaning that the tyres are suitable for all conditions.
Tyre labelling becomes a legal requirement in the EU countries from November 1, 2012, at which point all truck tyre buyers must be made aware of the label information. Goodyear says it is convinced this will make operators more aware of the significance of tyres to the overall fuel economy of trucks.
Related news:
- Goodyear Dunlop to show AA-graded concept tyres in Essen
- Goodyear Dunlop Truck Tyres labelled
- Michelin calls for tyre labelling to lead carbon reduction action
- Goodyear Dunlop: 40% of fleet operators run fuel efficient tyres
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