Fuel saving tyres for Christmas

Motorists wanting to reduce fuel costs no longer have to rely on their engine and driving ability alone.

A major contributor to fuel consumption is tyre rolling resistance, so Goodyear Dunlop Tyres NZ (GDTNZ) has launched the Assurance Fuel Max, which improves rolling resistance and reduces fuel consumption by as much as 4%. That’s enough to fund the cost of at least one new tyre.

“We’re delighted to be able to bring Fuel Max to the market at a time when budgets are tight and people are looking for direct savings,” said GDTNZ product engineer Bill Prebble. “4% may not sound like a lot but over the life of a set tyres, the payback is relatively significant.”

Two smart pieces of engineering are behind the savings. Firstly, Fuel Max has a silica-based tread instead of the conventional carbon black. Secondly, the base beneath the tread is firmer than conventional tyres and reduces deformation at point of contact – a major contributor to rolling resistance.

Incorporating silica into tyre production overcomes the compromise previously faced between rolling resistance, tread wear and grip.

Fuel Max boasts up to 15% reduction in wear over conventional technology tyres, while still performing to a high standard in the wet.

Contributing to that is Goodyear’s patented waffle blade technology, which provides more even pressure distribution across the width of the tyre to maximise road contact and extend tread life.

“The properties of silica overcome many of the compromises engineers have battled with when using carbon-black,” said Mr Prebble. “It’s durable, has excellent grip qualities and allows us to target rolling resistance, which can contribute up to 20% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption.”

A feature of the whole Assurance range is the employment of a DuPont Kevlar® band and two-ply sidewall, which jointly reinforce the tyre against road hazards.

Assurance Fuel Max fits into the Goodyear range between Assurance Armour Grip and Assurance Excellence Asymmetric.

A full overview of Fuel Max can be found on the new www.goodyear.co.nz website.