Tyre connectivity can reduce new-to-worn stopping difference by 30%

Goodyear Tire & Rubber says its road testing and customer field tests involving connected tyres recently surpassed the 3-million-mile mark. Testing in close cooperation with vehicle manufacturers, start-ups and other companies is taking place prior to the technology’s commercial launch.

Embedded sensors within connected tyres are able to ‘talk’ to both the vehicle and the road and measure tyre characteristics, thus contributing to enhanced vehicle performance and safety. Goodyear says initial studies show its connected tyres can reduce stopping distance lost between a new and worn tyre by 30 per cent. Furthermore, the tyre maker is confident that the role connected tyres play will increase in future along with the evolution to electric and autonomous vehicles.

The connected, intelligent tyre system that Goodyear is testing with its partners continuously measures and records tyre-derived information. This is paired with other vehicle data and connected to Goodyear’s cloud-based proprietary algorithms. The intelligent tyres can measure tyre wear, load, inflation and temperature, along with road surface conditions, in real-time, allowing the vehicle to adjust and respond to these measurements and optimise vehicle performance.

“Consider someone driving on a slick, curvy road in cold temperatures. The driver adjusts his movements by slowing down, tapping the brakes or avoiding sudden steering,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s chief technology officer. “But what happens when nobody is behind the wheel? The tyre is the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground and it can communicate vital information to the vehicle, enhancing safety and performance.”