Goodyear and Gatik to roll out Goodyear Endurance RSA tyres with SightLine across autonomous fleet

The implementation of intelligent tyre data has increased safety, predictability and efficiency in autonomous vehicle performance

The collaboration between the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and US leader in autonomous middle mile B2B logistics Gatik began in 2021 when the tyre manufacturer announced its joint project with the firm. Goodyear wanted to explore how its advanced tyre intelligence solutions could be leveraged to further the development of autonomous commercial vehicles. Goodyear had participated in Gatik’s Series B funding via its venture capital fund, Goodyear Ventures in order for the two companies will work on multiple innovative projects. Gatik’s medium-duty fleet ran on tyres equipped with Goodyear SightLine technology, the company’s suite of tyre intelligence solutions that sought to build on Goodyear’s existing connected tyre management products. In January, Goodyear and Gatik announced the expansion of what they call the industry’s “first successful integration of tyre intelligence technology into an autonomous driving system.”

Gatik’s autonomous fleet, consisting of Class 3–7 box trucks, has made significant strides in enhancing the safety, accuracy and overall performance of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Equipping the fleet’s Goodyear Endurance RSA tyres with SightLine, the company’s comprehensive tyre intelligence solution, enables Gatik to advance the safety and overall accuracy of its efficient fleet operations, while also improving delivery uptime and reliability. This year, Gatik plans to implement the intelligent tyre solution into a significant portion of its autonomous fleet across the US and Canada.

“Being the vehicle’s only contact point to the road, the tyre can play a pivotal role in enabling the vehicle to react like a driver would,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, global operations and chief technology officer, Goodyear. “Gatik is revolutionising the autonomous technology space, and by providing real-time insights through intelligent tire data, we can support Gatik’s autonomous driving system to become even more safe, reliable and efficient.”

Through extensive on-road testing in a wide variety of challenging real-world driving scenarios, tyre intelligence data regarding road conditions and tyre health have helped Gatik advance its AV controllers with insights about accurate cornering and braking stiffness, rolling resistance and tyre load. This data, which is communicated between Goodyear SightLine technology and Gatik’s autonomous driving system through a real-time feedback loop, has enabled Gatik to yield numerous performance enhancements, including the ability to adapt swiftly and safely to a variety of road conditions, even when the mass or payload of the truck varies by delivery.

“The groundbreaking integration of Goodyear SightLine technology into Gatik’s autonomous fleet is a first in the industry. The real-time data derived from intelligent tyre technology not only enhances the safety and predictability of our autonomous vehicles, but also enables us to maintain high levels of efficiency, reliability and delivery uptime throughout our operations,” said Gautam Narang, Gatik CEO and co-founder. “Our partnership with Goodyear is another step in advancing Gatik’s leadership in autonomous technology, underscoring our commitment to ensuring that the true advantages of B2B middle mile logistics are brought to market.”

The companies have partnered to conduct ongoing, rigorous testing at Goodyear’s San Angelo, Texas, Proving Grounds. Through this collaboration, Gatik can ensure its autonomous vehicles are tested extensively in a safe, closed course environment for both common and unusual road scenarios, including traffic lights, road signs, evasive manoeuvres, tight turns, collision avoidance, precise lane keeping and minimum risk stopping distances.

Goodyear and Gatik have future plans to incorporate Goodyear’s advanced predictive road condition monitoring solution into Gatik’s autonomous driving system. This integration will enable Gatik to strategically plan its operations, ensuring a consistent and reliable movement of goods for Gatik’s diverse customer base, encompassing the nation’s largest grocers, retailers, distributors, e-commerce platforms and CPG companies.