Yokohama cuts mass by a quarter with limited-run BluEarth tyre

Some companies celebrate their centenary with a giant birthday cake; Yokohama Rubber has done so by developing a tyre. Although described as a concept, the tyre will come to market this year – albeit just in Japan, in one size (205/55R16 91V) and only on a limited basis. The anniversary tyre is called the BluEarth-air EF21. Yokohama Rubber reports that it is based on the “most advanced technologies and the latest design technique for reducing tyres’ weight and environmental impact.” The BluEarth-air EF21 will be introduced to the world at the 45th Tokyo Motor Show 2017, which opens to the press tomorrow and to the public from 28 October.

Seeking to create a more environmentally friendly tyre, Yokohama Rubber has employed its latest design techniques to produce a tyre that, through containing less material, conserves resources and also contributes to lower overall vehicle weight and thus greater fuel efficiency. The structure of the BluEarth-air EF21 is described as being “thin yet highly rigid” and the tyre’s mass has been reduced by 25 per cent (compared with the Advan dB V551, the Yokohama product considered the company’s standard for tyre mass).

Wet grip and rolling resistance performance is said to be excellent, thanks to the use of a newly-developed rubber compound derived from Yokohama Rubber’s state-of-the-art rubber mixing technology, Advanced Reaction Technology in Mixing. In addition, the Yokohama BluEarth-air EF21 has been rated ‘AAA’ for rolling resistance and ‘a’ for wet grip performance, the highest grades awarded under Japan’s tyre labelling system.

BluEarth is the Yokohama global tyre brand based on the concept of “environmentally, human, and socially friendly”. Other BluEarth tyre lines sold in various market include BluEarth-A, which combines excellent wet performance with high fuel efficiency; the BluEarth RV-02, a fuel-efficient tyre for minivans and CUVs; and the BluEarth-Es, a fuel-efficient standard tyre.