The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company introduced a new fuel-efficient commercial tire technology and three new tires for long-haul trucks on Thursday, Aug. 24, at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas.
The company’s new Fuel Max technology – focused on trucking’s fuel and tire costs – is the “most cost-effective way to deal with rising fuel prices and improving vehicle fuel efficiency,” says Steve McClellan, Goodyear vice president of commercial tire systems. The technology blends fuel efficiency with long tread life and excellent performance, he says. Society of Automotive Engineers test results showed an 8 percent improvement in vehicle fuel economy compared with standard Goodyear over-the-road tires.
“The test showed what our tires are capable of achieving in a controlled test environment,” says Jon Bellissimo, Goodyear’s director of technology for commercial tires. Following SAE test procedures, the new tires were driven at highway speeds at Goodyear Proving Grounds in San Angelo, Texas, to benchmark the performance of the Fuel Max Technology line compared to conventional Goodyear commercial tires.
Since no one drives at constant speed on flat terrain for a 10-hour shift, Goodyear engineers adjusted the SAE results to 4 percent to estimate real-world conditions such as varying driver inputs, road conditions and terrain, and truck aerodynamics.
Bellissimo said a 4 percent boost in fuel economy could mean significant savings for companies and owner-operators switching to Fuel Max technology. Goodyear tires featuring Fuel Max technology include the Unisteel G395 LHS steer tire, Unisteel G305 LHD drive tire and Unisteel G316 LHT trail tire in standard (11R22.5) and low-profile (295/75R22.5 and 285/75R24.5) sizes. Goodyear also is offering UniCircle and precure retreading with Fuel Max technology.
