Inspired by Goodyear’s legendary Eagle high-performance heritage, the Eagle Xplore concept tire combines premium design with rugged capability. Its tread pattern draws from the iconic Wrangler line, incorporating a robust design to deliver traction and unleash unforgettable experiences—perfectly aligned with ELO’s adventurous DNA and spirit of exploration.

More than a tire, Goodyear Eagle Xplore is a statement of complete customization, transforming the tire into a bespoke, highly connected element of the vehicle—where technology and  design converge.

A tire that talks

Powered by Goodyear SightLine, a proprietary suite of smart tire technologies that provides real-time insights for safety and performance improvements in vehicles, Eagle Xplore delivers real-time data on tire pressure and load directly to the cockpit and the ELO app. For the first time, tire pressure is displayed on the rim via an LED sidebar:

·        Green indicates optimal pressure.

·        Red signals adjustment is needed.

Goodyear SightLine’s predictive capabilities also help maintain stability even in challenging conditions and enable the vehicle to optimize tire life by operating consistently at the ideal pressure

“Goodyear Eagle Xplore is where innovation meets style,” said Ben Glesener, senior technology director, Product Development, Consumer EMEA. “By combining distinctive design, intelligent innovation, and seamless connectivity, Goodyear is redefining the future of mobility with tailored solutions that transform every journey into an extraordinary experience”. 

Together, Goodyear and Citroën are shaping a future where journeys become connected and expressive.

Building on past successes

Since 2017, LIST and Goodyear have worked together to achieve pioneering results in materials research, structure-property relationship understanding, and data science. Their joint efforts have positioned Luxembourg as a hub for disruptive innovation in mobility, particularly in the tire and tire-related technology sectors. 

At last year’s LIST Tech Day, the two entities had sealed the agreement for a second phase of their partnership capitalizing on Goodyear’s and LIST's expertise, infrastructure, and competencies to drive innovation and technology to a new application domain.

Focus on sustainability and digitalization 

The new contract encompasses strategic programmes comprising more than 30 projects. Spanning six years, this new contract places significant emphasis on advancing efforts focused on sustainability and digitalization within the tire industry. In terms of sustainability, the focus will be on tire products developed with bio-based and recyclable materials. As for digitalization, the spotlights will be on data science and its application for accelerating sensor prototyping timeline and efficacy. The partnership will also focus on the development of sensors capable of real-time monitoring of tire wear, aimed at enhancing safety and facilitating maintenance procedures. Additionally, efforts will be dedicated to research and development in energy harvesting and storage for wireless sensors, ensuring their durability and efficiency over time. 

Supported by the Ministry of Economy and the Industrial Partnership Block Grants (IPBG) initiative of the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), this second phase of the partnership is expected to kick off by the end of April.

Strategic research programmes 

Data Science for Tire Applications - At the forefront of the digital transition, this programme aims to fit within Goodyear’s “first time right” development objective. Data Program will help Goodyear engineers develop, test and validate tire models early in the development cycle, with the goal of identifying the best performing tires before building a first prototype. 

• Tire Sensor Technology - This programme will help develop materials-based sensing technology to aid Goodyear in embedding sensors for continuous tire monitoring.
• End-of-Life Tires – This programme targets the exploration and potential development of new materials and processing technology to help improve the reuse of end-of-life tires
• Sustainable Materials - Material development programmes are designed to investigate new raw materials that could be used in all kinds of tire architectures
• Structure-Process-Property Relationships - This programme will deliver new tools to better understand complex correlations of characterization results and material performance.

Additionally, LIST and Goodyear have already identified several potential fields of interest for future collaboration.

Damien Lenoble, Director of the materials department at LIST: “The ongoing and strengthened strategic collaboration with a global and multinational company such as Goodyear is a testament to the high quality of research conducted here at LIST. We are honoured and pleased that Goodyear expanded our trusted partnership. Together, we are dedicated to developing tires that are not only better performing and smarter but also more sustainable for both users and the planet. I wish to congratulate all the teams at Goodyear and LIST who have diligently nurtured and developed this research and innovation programme over the past year and beyond.”

Romain Hansen, Vice President, EMEA Product Development at Goodyear: “I am thrilled to see this second phase of the partnership come to life. Working with influential organizations like LIST is essential to Goodyear achieving its commitment to enable mobility today and tomorrow.”

Outfitted with a DiM250 DYNAMIC Driving Simulator developed by VI-grade, the Center is designed to enhance Goodyear’s collaboration with OEMs and support elite tire performance through personalised product development.

Utilizing virtual tire development process, Goodyear’s team can use the Simulation Center to test and validate tire models for car models that do not yet exist. This allows for speedier production and ensures that tire modifications can be made in the development process to suit the vehicle’s needs.

Romain Hansen, vice president EMEA Product Development at Goodyear, says, “The opening of our industry-leading Simulation Center in Luxembourg displays Goodyear’s commitment to investing in and shaping the future of mobility.

“Our virtual tire development team has run numerous projects to date with the leading OEMs from Europe, the US and China," said Hansen. "Once the automotive engineers experience our virtual development process, they acknowledge both the potential business and possible sustainability impacts."

Goodyear vision for future tire development

The Simulation Center further cements Goodyear long-standing commitment to safety, wellness and sustainability. The use of simulated driving allows for fewer physical tires to be produced and a speedier manufacturing process.  It will also help enable Goodyear to achieve first to approval for all development tires with only one physical iteration. In fact, based on Goodyear calculations, the ability to develop one physical iteration will save an average of 13,000 tires and 97,500km of physical tire testing[1].

The expansion follows the launch of the inaugural center in Akron Ohio in 2021.

Following a successful first project with Maserati to produce bespoke tires for the Gran Turismo 2023, the Simulation Center is supporting Goodyear on developing tailormade tires for OEMs across the world.

[1] Based on internal calculations.

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® tires with Goodyear SightLine technology, the company’s comprehensive tire 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 tire solution into a significant portion of its autonomous fleet across the U.S. and Canada.

“Being the vehicle’s only contact point to the road, the tire 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 revolutionizing 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, tire intelligence data regarding road conditions and tire health have helped Gatik advance its AV controllers with insights about accurate cornering and braking stiffness, rolling resistance and tire 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 tire 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 is able to 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 maneuvers, 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.

A full  press kit can be downloaded here.

The ABS is an important safety component in modern vehicles designed to help the driver maintain steering control while braking. Through collaborative research and testing on a physical test vehicle, Goodyear and TNO effectively showcased that an improved ABS, equipped with information about the tire type and characteristics such as wear state, can potentially enhance overall system efficiency and reduce braking distance by as much as 5.75 feet¹.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were over 1.7 million rear-end crashes in 2021, accounting for nearly a third of all crashes in the United States². This integration can improve stopping distance performance, which has the potential to help drivers avoid accidents and reduce the severity of collisions, leading to enhanced road safety.

“Our collaborative work with TNO has yielded invaluable insights, with exciting possibilities to deliver greater value to our customers and support the future of mobility,” said Werner Happenhofer, vice president, Tire Intelligence and eMobility solutions, Goodyear. “At Goodyear, we believe that by harnessing the power of tire intelligence, we can contribute to the bold goal of future mobility to reduce accidents.”  

Goodyear and TNO began collaborating in 2021 through joint research and testing initiatives to evaluate and quantify the performance of the ABS controller on a physical car through the integration of intelligent tire information.

"TNO is dedicated to enhancing the safety, efficiency and sustainability of vehicles,” said Machteld de Kroon, managing director, Unit Mobility & Built Environment, TNO. “Our collaboration with Goodyear aims to minimize every centimeter of braking distance. We firmly believe that by improving the integration of tires and braking systems, we can contribute to reducing accidents and ultimately saving lives."

Today, Goodyear SightLine, the company’s suite of tire intelligence technologies, provides line of sight to the conditions of the tire, vehicle and road through advanced algorithms and real-time monitoring. Goodyear’s developments in tire intelligence technologies are poised to transform the future of transportation, ushering in a new era of smart and sustainable mobility. 

Full media pack is available for download on THIS LINK.

Collaboration named a CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, a global leader in connected mobility, and ZF, a global leader in vehicle systems and industrial technology, announced successful integration of tire intelligence technologies with vehicle motion control software.

The collaboration delivers Goodyear SightLine,* a suite of tire intelligence technologies, into the ZF cubiX®** ecosystem, a scalable vehicle motion control software that coordinates all dimensions of vehicle dynamics. This provides further tire and road data into the chassis system and enables an improved driving experience with better comfort, control and efficiency. 

“Goodyear SightLine will deepen our connection to the road and expand the scope and value of cubiX® by supporting the era of software-defined vehicles,” said Martin Fischer, Member of the Board of Management responsible for the ZF Chassis Solution division. “By joining our ecosystems, our customers will unlock a range of possibilities to customize and optimize their solutions in both vehicle motion and tire intelligence.”

Through research, virtual simulation and real-world testing, Goodyear and ZF have identified the potential of an integrated solution in improving vehicle performance and safety. Reducing the risk of hydroplaning, the Goodyear SightLine solution is capable of detecting partial hydroplaning early and offers recommendations for optimal speed to enhance vehicle control. Moreover, when heightened hydroplaning severity is detected, equipped with tire intelligence data, the cubiX software is designed to instruct the chassis actuators to apply corrective measures, stabilizing the vehicle.

Additionally, the synergy between Goodyear SightLine and cubiX capabilities can provide enhanced vehicle responsiveness, more direct and linear steering, improved turn-in response, increased stability, reduced controller workload and minimized intrusive interventions.

“Tires are the only part of the vehicle that touch the road and by digitizing this connection and equipping vehicle control actuators with critical insights, we can help optimize vehicle performance and safety,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer, Goodyear. “This collaboration with ZF is a great way to demonstrate what tire intelligence, actionable insights and elite software applications can do for mobility.” 

Showcasing innovative design and engineering features, the integration of cubiX® and SightLine was recently named a CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree within the vehicle technology and advanced mobility category.

*Goodyear SightLine, the company’s suite of tire intelligence technologies, provides line of sight to the conditions of the tire, vehicle and road. The technology communicates tire state, identification, road friction and other tire characteristics. Goodyear SightLine will continue to provide this integral information to make fleets, vehicles and, in the future, autonomous driving systems safer and more efficient. 

** cubiX®, ZF's first pure software product, coordinates vehicle dynamics as a holistic system. ZF cubiX® can control braking and steering systems, the vehicle’s (semi-) active damping system and further chassis and drive actuators. It offers another decisive advantage: The platform is compatible with various actuators such as dampers, brakes or rear-axle steering – regardless of the manufacturer or the specific design. This gives manufacturers the flexibility to implement different model series with one and the same control platform without additional integration effort. Future updates or upgrades to the software can be carried out "over-the-air" – i.e. wirelessly without a visit to the workshop.

B Roll available for download ON THIS LINK.

On October 23, 1970, a benchmark was set in the field of automotive technology when the rocket car Blue Flame, equipped with Goodyear tires, broke the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) land speed record, reaching a staggering 622.407 mph over a flying mile, and 630.388 mph over a flying kilometre.

These milestones were achieved on the Bonneville Salt Flats, which provided the ideal conditions for testing the limits of vehicular speed and performance. Additionally, the remarkable feat of achieving record-breaking runs was accomplished in the challenging circumstances of 3 inches of snow, further highlighting its impressive nature.

Goodyear designed 8:00-25 tires for the vehicle, with an outside diameter of 34.8 inches and a smooth tread surface to help prevent heat buildup, filled with nitrogen gas at 350 psi.

Blue Flame's exceptional design and engineering, including its advanced rocket propulsion system, were instrumental in surpassing the previous record, and the achievement served as a catalyst for continued innovation in the field. There is no question that the vehicle's remarkable achievement in breaking the record depended on its high-performance Goodyear tires, without which such a feat would have been impossible. These tires are a remarkable demonstration of human innovation and engineering expertise, as they enabled the vehicle to reach an unprecedented level of speed and performance.

Goodyear's achievement was not an isolated example, however, as the company had previously demonstrated a proclivity for setting records. In 1963, Goodyear was the first to develop a tire that was capable of exceeding 400 mph, when Craig Breedlove drove his first Spirit of America to success.

In recent years, Goodyear also equipped the British-made JCB DieselMax car, which set a 328 mph land speed record for diesel-powered vehicles in 2006, and Volvo Trucks’ The Iron Knight which broke two world speed records for trucks in 2016. The truck achieved an average speed of 105 mph in a time of 21.29 seconds over 1,000 metres from a standing start. The Iron Knight also beat the record for the 500-metre distance, reaching 81.6 mph in 13.71 seconds from a standing start.

Goodyear has never ceased to push the boundaries of what is possible. Its tires now represent a century and a quarter of innovation, driven by technological advancement, and a passion for delivering the highest quality, perfectly tailored tires. Goodyear's legacy lies far further than in the development of its tires alone; its influence stems from the significant progress and innovative strides its technology has made over the course of the past 125 years.

Using a range of sustainable materials in the tire tread compound, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has developed the Eagle GO concept tire, which will be fitted to Citroën’s new concept car, oli. 

For more than 120 years, Goodyear has pursued sustainable, low-maintenance innovations and inventions and partnering with Citroën continues a long-standing relationship between both brands. The Eagle GO is the third Goodyear concept tire developed with Citroën and has been created to optimise efficiency, durability and comfort.  

Sustainable-material tread compound 

This concept tire uses a compound in the tread, the part of the tire that wears, made of nearly all sustainable or recycled materials. These materials include sunflower oils, pine tree resins, natural rubber and rice husk ash silica. These materials are described below. 

•  Sunflower oils and pine tree resins are renewable solutions to replace petroleum-derived oils. These materials are currently being used to make ‘Vegetable Ink’ for printers. Goodyear’s goal is to fully replace petroleum-derived oils in its products by 2040. 
• Natural rubber from the Hevea brasiliensis tree is used to replace synthetic petroleum-based rubber, using responsible farming and cultivation methods¹. 
• Rice husk ash silica from rice processing can reduce waste going to landfills and has previously been used in reinforced concrete. 

Renewable tread 

The Eagle GO concept tire has the potential to be renewed twice across its lifetime, which increases the lifespan of the tire. Goodyear has set an objective for the Eagle GO concept tire to achieve up to 500,000km through the reuse of the sustainable carcass and renewable tread.   

Intelligent technology 

The Eagle GO concept tire uses Goodyear SightLine technology, which includes a sensor that monitors a variety of tire health parameters. This technology is already being applied to help Goodyear fleet customers and could significantly reduce waste and increase efficiency by maintaining ideal pressure and tire condition. Monitoring the health of the tire is an important factor in determining whether or when a tire can be renewed, thus increasing circularity and efficiency. Adding this technology to the Eagle GO concept tire is in line with Goodyear’s goal to reinvent tires and service, delivering data-and-sensor-enabled intelligence in all new products by 2027.  

 “Tire architecture has come a long way by incorporating sustainable materials and smart technologies,“ explained Laurent Colantonio, Regional Technology Director Consumer EMEA.  “With Citroën, we have a relationship that provides a great testbed for developing and testing new technologies and techniques.   

“Concept tires are a fantastic way for Goodyear to research and develop ground-breaking technologies that can make its way into our products. The learnings from this project will go towards our future as a mobility enabler that consistently innovates its products and services.” 

^[1] In line with Goodyear’s Natural Rubber Procurement Policy 

Within this page you can find the following assets:

Feature Articles: 

Goodyear reimagines the tire for a multi-modal future
Goodyear SightLine: Tire intelligence drives innovation

Video: 
Goodyear Beyond Tires
Goodyear SightLine Brand Film

A range of photo and b-roll footage of the event, including interviews with  experts from the team.

The new facility is a first of its kind for Goodyear and it will provide opportunities to learn, test and mature technology as production capability continues to increase.  It features a new process focused on small-batch production of large rim diameter ultra-high performance (UHP) and ultra-ultra-high performance (UUHP) tires, which enables Goodyear to produce tires four times faster than a standard production cycle. This means that the company can respond to customer demands very quickly and efficiently.

Developed by Goodyear engineers, the process anticipates and responds to increasing complexity in the tire industry. The intensifying focus by original equipment manufacturers on large rim diameter tires, as well as a vast variety of vehicle models and options available to consumers, creates a growing need to efficiently develop and produce premium UUHP tires in small-batch quantities on-demand for replacement and original equipment customers.

“We needed to design this integrated product and process to deliver for the changing needs of the market. By doing so, we are enabling a new business model to serve our customers and consumers in this important and increasingly complex part of the market.” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, Global Operations and chief technology officer. “The new process will give us a competitive advantage, targeting world-class quality and responsiveness.”

The new technology requires new skills, and so far, Goodyear has hired 90 associates to support the facility and in the coming months will recruit 20 additional electromechanical technicians. Goodyear has also invested in training programs to enhance skills to enable current associates to perform new and innovative manufacturing processes.

The new facility is now operational, and the official opening ceremony is a key step along the journey to full capability.  The official opening ceremony took place in the presence of Luxembourg's Son Altesse Royale le Grand-Duc, Franz Fayot Minister of Economy and Dan Biancalana, Deputy-Mayor of Dudelange.

Franz Fayot, Minister of the Economy of Luxembourg commented: "As the first important American company to settle in Luxembourg in 1951, Goodyear marked a new beginning in Luxembourg’s industrial history and its economic diversification. Since then, the relationship between Goodyear and Luxembourg has always been one of mutual support and trust. The company’s new manufacturing facility in Dudelange is confirming the assets of the Grand Duchy as a destination for high-tech industrial investment by international groups.”

Notes to Editors

What is the new Process?
The process allows Goodyear to produce tires four times faster than a standard production cycle via forming and hot application of components at the tire assembly machine. In different words, this is a version of 3-D printing for the tire industry.

The speed of production is thanks to new digital processes featuring highly automated, interconnected workstations using additive manufacturing technologies. 

The process drives efficiencies during the industrialization process of new products that will later go into mass production, thanks to the fully automated and high precision nature of the manufacturing process.

This, combined with new virtual capabilities that Goodyear is installing in its Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg Luxembourg, is a key step to further reduce product development cycle time aiming to reach Goodyear’s goal of being a preferred original equipment supplier, achieving first approval for all development products with only one physical iteration.

The one-stop fleet management solution combines data from Goodyear’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with HERE location services. Goodyear TPMS is an advanced sensor and predictive algorithm solution that helps fleets avoid up to 90% of tire-related breakdowns. With HERE location services, fleet operators and Goodyear service providers can localize a vehicle in need of a service or road assistance intervention within a few meters and navigate them to the nearest maintenance station. In addition, Goodyear has been using HERE SDK (Software Development Kit) to provide a mobile application for commercial drivers.  

The HERE SDK is a set of programming interfaces that gives access to HERE’s rich portfolio of services, such as in-vehicle navigation, traffic alerts, transit information and fleet management features. The HERE SDK provides vector maps in over 190 countries and in 60 languages with optimized map data size to minimize download latency and to provide fast response times while still scaling to a high degree of fidelity. Map customization tools enable various adjustments such as the highlighting of important objects on a map by changing colors and icons as well as editing dynamic properties of cartography objects including buildings, roads and land use. The HERE SDK mapping, routing and search functions incorporate  truck specific road information, vehicle regulations and points of interest. HERE Routing also enables fleet managers to deliver optimized navigation routes incorporating the attributes of the roadway, legal and physical restrictions and adjusted road hierarchy and topology.  

“HERE location technology is bringing clear added value to our Goodyear Total Mobility customers. In the daily fleet operations, every minute counts and being able to locate a vehicle in a timely and precise manner is key to minimizing downtime. In case of a service need, this can be managed in a user-friendly manner – via a mobile application for both drivers and dispatchers. Working with HERE allows us to offer state-of-the art data solutions that drive efficient and sustainable results,” said Grégory Boucharlat, Vice President for Commercial Europe at Goodyear.  

“We are proud to be working with one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers and mobility providers. By integrating our advanced data and location services into Goodyear easy-to-use solutions, we contribute to building a safer, more efficient and cleaner world,” said Gino Ferru, General Manager EMEAR and Senior Vice President at HERE Technologies.  

Starship Technologies, a Goodyear Ventures portfolio company, builds and operates a network of over 1,000 last mile autonomous robots that carry and deliver packages, groceries and food directly to customers.

To address Starship’s request related to tire health and maintenance, Goodyear developed a specially engineered airless tire designed to extend tire life and reduce maintenance activities for Starship’s delivery fleet.

Goodyear and Starship have entered an in-field testing phase at Bowling Green State University to evaluate vehicle and tire dependencies. Early on-vehicle tire testing data has shown positive results with respect to treadwear, braking and vibration dampening.

“We are excited to extend our unique airless tire architectures into new forms of mobility,” said Michael Rachita, Goodyear’s senior program manager, non-pneumatic tires. “The micro delivery space presents a different set of needs as it relates to the tire, and our NPT technology is ideal to meet those needs to help enable a maintenance-free and long-lasting experience.”

“Our delivery robots make thousands of deliveries every day in all types of weather conditions and terrain,” said Siim Viilup, mechanical engineering manager, Starship Technologies. “To make sure we can keep up with the growing demand for our services, we need tires that are reliable and keep our robots on the move around the clock and around the globe. It’s great to see these new tires offering reliability as well as cost savings as we scale our business.”

“We set an ambitious goal in 2020 to create a tire made 100% from sustainable materials in 10 years, and our scientists and engineers have made great progress toward that goal,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, global operations and chief technology officer. “This is an exciting achievement that demonstrates our commitment to increasing the use of sustainable materials in our tires.”

The 70% sustainable-material tire includes 13 featured ingredients across nine different tire components, including those described below. Company performance indicators have shown the component properties to deliver strong overall tire performance.

·         Carbon black is included in tires for compound reinforcement and to help increase their life and has traditionally been made by burning various types of petroleum products. Goodyear’s new tire features three different carbon blacks that are produced from methane, carbon dioxide, and plant-based oil. Initial life cycle assessments demonstrate either reduced carbon emissions compared with current methods of carbon black production or the use of bio-based or waste feedstock sources.

·         The use of soybean oil in tires is a significant Goodyear innovation that helps keep a tire’s rubber compound pliable in changing temperatures. Soybean oil is a bio-based resource that reduces Goodyear’s use of petroleum-based products. While nearly 100% of soy protein is used in food/animal feed applications, a significant surplus of oil is left over and available for use in industrial applications.

·         Silica is an ingredient often used in tires to help improve grip and reduce fuel consumption. Goodyear’s new tire contains a unique variety of silica produced from rice husk ash, a byproduct of rice processing that is often discarded and put into landfills. A high-quality silica has been produced from this waste ash.

·         Polyester is recycled from plastic bottles and other plastic waste by reverting the polyester into its base chemicals and reforming them into technical grade polyester feasible for tire cords. 

The 70% sustainable-material tire has been produced as a demonstration tire.

In this category, Goodyear has been recognized for its innovative and environmentally friendly traction resin, which was developed at the Goodyear Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg for use in the manufacture of Company’s ultra-high-performance tires. This special resin replaces petroleum-based resins traditionally used in the tire manufacturing and is helping the company to reach its goal of producing a 100% sustainable-material and maintenance-free tire by 2030.

“At Goodyear, we strive to make an impact by our choice of the materials we use, and Goodyear’s new traction resin has several advantages for the environment. It not only reduces naphtha/crude oil requirements, but also improves fuel consumption and reduces CO2 emissions, says Xavier Fraipont, Goodyear’s Vice President for Product Development in Europe Middle East and Africa.

Over the last five years, Goodyear engineers have been working to develop and test this terpene resin, which is produced out of pine trees. Combined with other raw materials in the tread compound, this new formula contributes to the reduction of petroleum-based resins consumption as well as an increase in the tire performance of 18% in rolling resistance and 30% in mileage, providing better performance both for the motorist and the environment.

This bio-based resin is currently used across the Europe Middle East and Africa regions for passenger and commercial ultra-high performance tires such as the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 and Eagle F1 SuperSport.

Ultra-large ships urge for more efficiency and automated port operations

Over the last decade, container ships have significantly grown in capacity, the latest generation of ultra-large ships can carry more than 20,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) halfway across the globe. Larger vessels mean more energy efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.

In 2020, the largest port of Europe, Port of Rotterdam, handled 8,436,240 incoming and outgoing containers or 436.8 million tonnes of goods. The exponential growth of goods arriving at European ports significantly impacts the daily port operations including increasing unloading times, complex planning processes, … requiring more digitalization and automation.

Vehicle movements within ports are extremely time critical as any disruption can have an immediate impact on the supply chain. Goodyear DrivePoint Heavy Duty is the first system to cater to the advanced AGV-segment, further enhancing efficiency and safety in the daily port operations.

DrivePoint Heavy Duty pioneered at Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam

The new automated tyre monitoring system of Goodyear is piloted at Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT), one of the leading and most advanced container terminal operators in Europe. Multiple Goodyear DrivePoint Heavy Duty’s are installed at the ECT Euromax and ECT Delta terminals. Operational within one of the world’s largest AGV port operations, the fully automated tyre monitoring system will monitor about 100 AGVs, supporting them to operate under optimal conditions. Based on the tyre data provided by the new system, vehicles can be serviced at the right moment and tyre service life can be further extended.

The Goodyear DrivePoint Heavy Duty system is an ideal complement to AGV operations as there’s no interruption of the automated process for tyre checking and it can support operations that run day and night.

Goodyear DrivePoint Heavy Duty - How it works?

Every time the vehicle passes through the port-based information receivers, it picks up readings from the system’s dedicated heavy duty on-valve tyre pressure sensors. The sensors are installed on the valves rather than inside the wheel and tyre unit. This means tyres don’t have to be demounted, further emphasising the ease of operations.

The data is uploaded to the Goodyear cloud. This gives maintenance managers and operators instant access and reporting through the Goodyear Fleet Manager app. If there is a low tyre pressure alert, the system highlights this immediately¹. This reduces the risk of unexpected downtime, most critical in fully automated port operations and allows targeted servicing and preventive maintenance of AGVs.

The Citroën Skate and its "Pod" concepts were inspired by The Urban Collëctif, a project between Citroën, the international hotel group, Accor, and the JCDecaux media company. The vehicle and tires were revealed today in Paris. 

"We are proud to be introducing the prototype of our spherical concept tire as an integral part of the Citroën Autonomous Mobility Vision,” explains Hans Vrijsen, managing director, Original Equipment at Goodyear. “The Eagle 360 prototype is compact and its shape makes it agile and maneuverable, ideal for future urban and autonomous mobility solutions.” 

For over 120 years, Goodyear has continuously pursued innovations and inventions. As mobility evolved, Goodyear partnered with pioneers in everything from lunar exploration to land speed records to drive change and discovery.

Goodyear first introduced the Eagle 360 concept at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2016, following up in 2017 with a second iteration, the Eagle 360 Urban concept. Time magazine declared the Eagle 360 concept as one of the 25 best innovations of 2016[1]. 

The Eagle 360 prototype draws its inspiration from these concepts and shares several innovative features with them, as well as introducing new features of its own:

• High maneuverability: With its spherical shape, this multi-orientation prototype tire can move in all directions, delivering both maneuverability and passenger comfort. The Eagle 360 prototype provides a smooth ride by creating a fluid, lateral movement. This helps the Citroën Skate platform to easily overtake obstacles.
• Maintenance-free: The Eagle 360 prototype is a non-pneumatic tire. With no need for pressure monitoring or risk of puncture, it minimizes downtime for the Citroën Autonomous Mobility Vision. 
• Long-lasting: With four times the tread surface of a standard tire, the Eagle 360 prototype would also wear four times slower than a traditional tire, leading to less frequent tire replacement.
• Extended range: By using a stiff inner structure and low rolling resistance rubber compound, the Eagle 360 prototype is designed for low deflection at the point of contact with the road. This can contribute to reducing energy loss and lowering rolling resistance, which can help to extend the battery range of an electric vehicle.
• Consistent grip: By using hexagonal siping, the Eagle 360 prototype is designed to provide consistent grip independent of the driving direction.

This is the latest in a series of partnerships between Goodyear and the Citroën Design Team, building on their recent collaboration on the autonomous, connected, electric Citroën 19_19 Concept that was revealed to mark Citroen’s centenary year in 2019.

Throughout the project, Goodyear's Advanced Design Studio team collaborated closely with the Citroën Design Team to design and deliver a bespoke Eagle 360 prototype which is in total harmony with the vision and objectives of the Citroën Autonomous Mobility Vision.

“Concept tires are the basis for an innovative company like Goodyear to engage with future mobility challenges and develop new, groundbreaking products and services. We are honored to have partnered with Citroën on this unique mobility project and to have taken a further step in the development of one of our most innovative concepts,” Vrijsen concluded.

These ripples can grow into waves and cause the kind of disruption that changes the course of history. Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks, describes innovation: “Innovation must be disruptive. And by disruptive, I mean disruptive. You've got to fracture and break the rules and disrupt."

Innovation is about introducing something new, creating value and growth; disruption comes from taking that new thing and running with it as far as possible, creating major change. Not only do they allow businesses to differentiate themselves and flourish, but contribute to the advancement of the industry as a whole.

Innovation is also what allows us to anticipate the needs of consumers of the future. For Goodyear, this means contributing to the evolution of the automotive industry. Far more than a tire business, it's investing in — and partnering with — the innovators to help them change the industry.

Powerful partnerships

The future of mobility is a major focus for Goodyear; all types of vehicles are set to become more accessible to more people and have a wider variety of functions than ever before. Just this year, Goodyear partnered with Dutch research organisation TNO to connect its intelligent tires with TNO's ABS system, to reduce stopping distance loss by up to 30%. The aim of this cooperation is to maximize safety for the drivers of the future.

Goodyear also announced a highly exciting collaboration with electric car rental company UFODRIVE. This will see UFODRIVE's eMobility SaaS platform combined with Goodyear's intelligent tire monitoring system to improve electric vehicle fleet performance. As part of this collaboration, they'll conduct studies aimed at maximizing energy usage, saving on tire replacement costs, and minimizing the carbon impact of fleets.

Then there's Voyomotive, a connected car technology company with which Goodyear has joined forces to pilot tire monitoring solutions to improve vehicle efficiency. The aim is to give customers the ability to proactively correct anomalies and get their tire inflation right long before the car can alert them, improving efficiency.

Investing in a new age

Investing in innovation is important to the progression of a business because it supports the creation and development of new ideas. It enables the bringing together of a diverse range of expertise for the best possible outcome. The biggest and fastest-moving companies in the world invest in innovation constantly, knowing that it's how businesses progress and thrive in the fast-moving modern world.

Alongside some vital partnerships, Goodyear is investing in visionary startups through Goodyear Ventures. These are organizations that are changing the face of the future of mobility – something Goodyear, with its long legacy of innovation, is able to elevate.

For example, Starship Technologies is creating a shift in the supply chain with autonomous robots that can carry and deliver items — something that will drastically change last-mile logistics. At a customer's request via an app, parcels and groceries can be picked up by these advanced robots and delivered anywhere within a four-mile radius. Not only do they save money and energy compared with using vehicles, but they're safe and secure, moving at pedestrian speed with the intelligence to move around obstacles.

The interest in the future and autonomy doesn't end there. Goodyear has invested in TuSimple, a company that has created a new standard in safety with self-driving technology specifically designed for heavy-duty trucks. These reliable, low-cost freight services are set to transform logistics as we know it.

Autonomous technology is far from the only area Goodyear Ventures is investing in. With Envoy, it's diversified its portfolio by investing in an organisation that is making the future of mobility a community affair. It's an electric car-sharing service and platform that provides EVs as exclusive amenities in workplaces, hotels, and apartments, with dedicated parking spaces and charging stations. With short-term car rental services already growing in popularity, mobility as a service is the inevitable evolution.

Leading by example

This is why Goodyear is far, far more than just tires. In fact, it's always had one foot in advanced innovation. From building and testing the first American-made synthetic rubber tire in 1937, to creating the first tires that landed on the moon for Apollo 14 in 1971, to inventing the Eagle radial racing tyre that enabled Al Unser Sr. to gain his fourth Indianapolis 500 victory in 1987, Goodyear has never stopped aiming as high as imaginable.

Some businesses innovate without realizing it, always improving their operations in small ways for benefit of their customers. Others make it a priority, which is the best way to optimize innovation and contribute to true disruption. Whether or not it's about writing the script for the future of mobility, the way Goodyear is doing with its partners, these powerful collaborations are what shape the future across each and every sector of business.

For more information on Goodyear Ventures, go to www.goodyearventures.com.

In addition, Goodyear's technicians conduct winter tire tests in polar regions, such as at the Arctic Test Center in Finland. They also drive on highways in and outside Europe to test the extreme conditions that transport companies face on a daily basis.

Goodyear also uses independent test companies, such as the world-renowned test company TÜV SÜD Automotive GmbH. These companies often compare tires from different manufacturers to show how well Goodyear tires and those of the company's other brands perform.

Field testing is also an important part of Goodyear's testing process. Trucks, buses and coaches often run with Goodyear tires as well as their regular tires so that performance can be compared in real-world conditions.

When Goodyear develops a new truck tire, it must meet 50 different performance criteria before it is produced. Each criterion addresses an important performance characteristic, such as:

• Wet handling
• Braking on wet roads
• Dry road handling op
• Grip in corners
• Durability
• External noise
• Wet traction
• Stability at high speeds
• rolling resistance
• Mileage
• contact pressure
• High speed

And much more ...

All specific winter truck tires are tested for specific performance factors, such as:

• Ice traction
• Braking performance on ice
• Grip on snow (acceleration test for truck tires in the snow)
• Snow traction
• Snow braking performance
• Controllability in the snow
• Climbing hills

And much more ...

It is important to remember that improving one performance can lead to a deterioration of the other. This is evident, for example, from the relationship between rolling resistance and wear. The development of a tread compound that reduces rolling resistance or improves fuel economy usually results in reduced tire life as they wear out faster. Goodyear has been able to make improvements for years without negatively impacting other areas of performance.

For the past three years, Goodyear and Local Motors have tested an Olli shuttle supported by the NPT at Goodyear testing facilities and other locations reaching several performance targets with respect to load, speed and durability.

In 2019, Goodyear pivoted its NPT concentration to on-road testing and a growing relationship with Local Motors. While this testing phase will reveal more about non-pneumatic tires, airless tires may offer sustainable, maintenance-free and longer-lasting options. The urban transportation environment provides an ideal testing scenario for the alternative tire architecture given its lower speed and less variable travel paths.

Goodyear and Local Motors will gather experiential data from the JTA, looking for viewpoints on ride comfort, noise and other variables. “As mobility evolves, we feel that tires can transform the way we move and alternative airless architectures are ideal, particularly in the emerging autonomous transportation environment,” said Michael Rachita, Goodyear’s senior program manager, non-pneumatic tires. “This is an important milestone as we look to advance mobility today and as we look to introduce the first completely sustainable and maintenance-free tires by the end of the decade.”

“The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is proud to integrate this innovative and sustainable technology into our Autonomous Vehicle Test & Learn program as we develop the future of mobility through the Ultimate Urban Circulator,” said JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. “This collaboration is another example of how Jacksonville is leading the public transportation industry in developing AV mobility solutions.”

“Testing with best-in-class software and technology partners is enabling the JTA to lead globally in readiness for the use of autonomous platform in an urban environment. We are excited for the opportunity to extend the Test & Learn program with the JTA, Goodyear and Local Motors to prove out the use of other innovations such as the Goodyear airless tires, as this will only further transform transportation as we know it,” said Joe Moye, Beep CEO.

"Autonomous vehicles, like Olli, need to decrease maintenance costs and perform reliably," said Local Motors President Vikrant Aggarwal. "Goodyear's non-pneumatic tires are positioned to give maintenance teams less to worry about while giving passengers a quiet, consistent ride. Non-pneumatic tires may just be the industry standard in the coming years."

Goodyear SightLine will help enable seamless, safe and reliable mobility for all vehicles starting with cargo vans serving the field service, construction and last-mile delivery industries.

Later this year, Goodyear SightLine will also be available to Goodyear’s original equipment customers and emerging fleet and mobility providers.

Initially available in North America and Europe, Goodyear SightLine uses sensors with cloud-based algorithms to communicate with fleet operators in real-time.

Goodyear’s proprietary predictive maintenance technologies can help to address many challenges facing drivers and fleet managers today, including predicting breakdowns, minimizing downtime and monitoring tire pressure and wear for enhanced safety and more cost-efficient mobility.

"Much like smart watches that monitor vitals like heartrates and oxygen levels, Goodyear SightLine’s tire intelligence monitors the health of a tire,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, global operations and chief technology officer. “Goodyear SightLine takes the mystery out of understanding tires and provides proactive mobility insights to communicate when tires need service or replacement.”

Goodyear has accumulated billions of test miles on tire solutions powered by Goodyear SightLine through pilot programs and with its launch establishes the groundwork for a connected-tire future in which every tire provides intelligence. Goodyear has articulated a company goal to have tire intelligence in all new products by 2027.

In the future, Goodyear SightLine technology will not only provide feedback on the tire, but provide feedback on road conditions, enabling connected, autonomous mobility. Initial testing has shown integrating Goodyear SightLine technology into a vehicle’s control’s system can reduce stopping distance loss by 30%.

For more information, visit www.goodyearsightline.com.

The first power station will be a photovoltaic carport consisting of 1 500 solar panels, covering a parking lot of around 4 000 m². With an annual production of 657.500 kWh, the carport will be the first in Luxembourg of this scale and will generate enough energy to supply a number of households.

Completion of the first station is targeted for August 2021 while plans for the second power station are targeted for 2022.

When finished, both stations will produce annually around 5 GWh of electric power and reduce carbon emissions by around 50.000 tons for the next 20 years, while providing clean energy yearly for more than 1,200 households.

“Thanks to this project we will produce local green and carbon-free energy for Luxembourgish citizens, “said Xavier Fraipont, Goodyear’s Vice President for Product Development in Europe Middle East and Africa. “We are pleased to help the Luxembourgish government in its goal to the switch to 100% renewable energies."

Erik von Scholz, CEO of Enovos Luxembourg added: "Enovos in close collaboration with our industrial partners strive to progress swiftly the implementation of renewable energies and thus the decarbonization of the energy sector. Enovos’ ambitions are enabled by its expertise to develop and put in action renewable energy sourced solution. This joint project illustrates our continuous commitment to drive the energy transition in the Greater Region."

“Solar energy is the energy of the future, and the latest figures are a clear proof that more and more residents and companies are embracing it: the production of photovoltaic power plants is constantly increasing. I am therefore very pleased that Goodyear, an industrial actor of the north of the country, is joining this development and consequently helps to convince even more players that photovoltaic energy is not only beneficial for the climate, but also for the economy” said the Minister for Energy, Claude Turmes.

The companies will together pursue opportunities to integrate their complementary mobility solutions, including Goodyear’s intelligent tire monitoring system and proactive solutions suite and UFODRIVE’s advanced eMobility software as a service platform.

Goodyear and UFODRIVE will also conduct studies designed to optimize vehicle utilization and servicing to maximize energy usage and tire replacement cost savings and minimize the carbon impact of fleets.

“Working with UFODRIVE is a unique opportunity for us to expand the successful Goodyear Total Mobility fleet solutions from our commercial truck and bus business to the rapidly evolving EV passenger fleet landscape,” said Hakan Bayman, president of Goodyear’s consumer business in Europe. “We anticipate overall demand for shared mobility services to continue growing in the coming years, with a particular emphasis on contactless solutions.”

Launched in 2019, Goodyear Total Mobility is an end-to-end fleet offering that brings together premium tires and a suite of data-driven monitoring and predictive analytics solutions to provide fleet operators with real-time tire performance information, including pressure and temperature.

UFODRIVE has developed and proven its eMobility platform by delivering a radically better car rental experience in eight countries and 17 locations across Europe in less than two years.

“Working with a tier one mobility company like Goodyear allows UFODRIVE to expand on its mission to deliver a seamless transition to electric mobility for shared fleets,” said UFODRIVE CEO Aidan McClean. “The electric revolution is accelerating, and we are delighted to collaborate with Goodyear to pioneer unique SaaS features such as fleet utilization maximization, energy savings and optimized electric routing for fleet owners.”

About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 62,000 people and manufactures its products in 46 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.
 

About UFODRIVE

UFODRIVE is an advanced eMobility platform allowing mobility providers go electric, shared and contactless. UFODRIVE has developed and proven the platform by delivering a radically better car rental experience in eight countries. The first all-digital, all-electric car rental service controlled from an app. UFODRIVE receives the highest net promotor score in car rental with an incredible customer experience that's simple, easy and fast. No queues, no paperwork, no refueling, no extra costs with zero-emissions. UFODRIVE goes beyond NetZero emissions with biosphere regeneration credits for every clean kilometer driven. Customers, experience hassle free electric driving with real-time optimized charging and routing, using our advanced AI eMobility platform.

For more information about UFODRIVE, go to www.ufodrive.com

In addition to strengthening Goodyear’s product development at the European site, the new driving simulator also enhances technical collaboration with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, where another DiM250 was recently put into operation. In addition, both of Goodyear’s innovation centers employ VI-grade COMPACT Simulators to complement virtual tire development processes.

Driving simulators allow tire models to be developed, tested and validated early in the development cycle, identifying the best performing tires before building a first prototype. This matches with the pace of the automotive development process, providing tire models at the right time when requested by vehicle manufacturers.

“This level of simulation capability is a clear technology leadership advantage,” said Chris Helsel, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Goodyear. “We are always looking to appropriately accelerate the development process and maintain our status as the preferred supplier for our customers.”

“We are delighted to report on the adoption of a second DiM250 DYNAMIC Driving Simulator at Goodyear,” said Guido Bairati, VP Global Sales and Marketing, VI-grade. “With DiM250 and COMPACT simulators on both sides of the ocean, Goodyear is now at the forefront of virtual tire development and gains a significant competitive advantage when it comes to collaboration with automotive OEMs and accelerated product development. In both locations, Goodyear engineers will count on digital twins of important circuits such as Nurburgring Nordschleife, Virginia International Raceway and Idiada Spain Proving Grounds, and on advanced tire models in CDTire format from Fraunhofer Institute.”

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company released its annual report on corporate responsibility performance. The report summarizes the company’s actions in 2019 that demonstrate Goodyear’s continued commitment to ethical and sustainable processes, materials and programs that can help people, communities and the environment.

Goodyear’s 2019 report features the following highlights following the four pillars established around its Better Future corporate responsibility framework:

Sustainable Sourcing: Sustainable sourcing is Goodyear’s approach to responsibly sourcing materials used for operations and products. In 2019, Goodyear increased its use of soybean oil as a replacement for petroleum-derived oils by 90%. Soybean oil is now in four of the most popular tire lines, offering enhanced vehicle grip while increasing use of a more sustainable material.

Responsible Operations: In 2019, Goodyear improved leading and lagging safety indicators as work continues to reduce the risk of serious injuries in all facilities.

Advanced Mobility: In 2019, Goodyear’s predictive servicing solution was piloted by several fleets, allowing them to forecast and schedule tire maintenance and replacement, improve overall tire management and maximize uptime across the fleet.

Inspiring Culture: As part of Goodyear’s diversity and inclusion efforts, membership in Employee Resources Groups (ERG) grew 84% globally in the last two years. A seventh group, the Goodyear Asia, India, Middle East ERG, also was added.

Goodyear’s 2019 report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: Core option, which resulted in increased transparency over previous reports. To access this year’s report, visit https://corporate.goodyear.com/documents/responsibility/2019-corporate-responsibility-report.pdf

The two stations will produce annually around 5 GWh and reduce carbon emissions by 46.300 tons, providing clean energy for around 1,200 households for the next 20 years.

As part of the company’s Goodyear Better Future corporate responsibility strategy, Goodyear previously outlined goals to reduce its environmental impact and increase its commitment to protect the environment.

Goodyear is tracking well toward that target, with the photovoltaic power stations projected to add local, green, carbon-free energy into the Luxembourg energy grid beginning in 2022.

The photovoltaic stations will expand on Goodyear’s long-standing relationship with Luxembourg’s main energy supplier, Enovos, to produce steam for production at its Luxembourg plant.

“At Goodyear, we are continuously working to reduce our environmental impact,” said Xavier Fraipont, Goodyear’s Vice President for Product Development in Europe Middle East and Africa. “This project will contribute to the local green and carbon-free energy supply, benefiting the community and helping to protect the environment for years to come.”

Erik von Scholz, CEO of Enovos Luxembourg added: “We are delighted to continue our great and longtime collaboration with Goodyear. This project is a prime example of our ambitions to increase our local renewable energy production and provide our customers with high quality green products for a more sustainable future.”

“I welcome Goodyear's announcement, which is perfectly in line with our policy of energy transition. By speeding up this transition, we can not only strengthen our resilience but also our independence from fossil fuel imports” contributes the Minister for Energy, Claude Turmes.

Goodyear’s concept tires are tailor-made to benefit the modern, sleek and sporty design of the Lexus. They support EV motors and are designed to improve the overall comfort and performance of the car.
 

“We are proud to have worked on this project with Lexus, a company that has been pioneering innovations in mobility for 30 years”, explains Mike Rytokoski, Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Goodyear Europe, “This collaboration demonstrates once again the critical role tires can play in shaping the future of electric mobility.”
 

The LF-30 Electrified concept tire includes several innovative features:

• EV motor cooling: Drawing on Goodyear’s expertise in aerodynamics, the concept tires are designed to improve the cooling of the EV motors. Cool air enters through the front bumper intake and fins on the tires drive the flow towards the electric motor positioned behind each wheel. The hot air produced by the EV motor is then expelled towards the outer edge of the rim of the LF-30 Electrified.
   
• Reduced aerodynamic drag: The tire design along with the outer tire shape would improve the Lexus’ aerodynamics by reducing drag, resulting in higher efficiency and battery range.
   
• Noise reduction through biomimicry: Goodyear found inspiration in nature when designing the concept tires. The leading edges of the cooling fins are covered with fine velvet like on the wings of an owl, which enables the predator to silently catch their prey at night. Through this biomimetic solution, the rolling noise of the tire would be reduced to a minimum.
   

Goodyear’s concept tire for the Lexus LF-30 Electrified concept comes in a 285/35R24 size.

“Goodyear wants the tire to be an even more powerful contributor to answering consumers’ specific mobility needs, said Mike Rytokoski, Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Goodyear Europe, “It was with that ambition that we set out to create a concept tire primed for the future of personalized and convenient electric mobility.”

The reCharge concept includes a number of innovative features that are built around three pillars:

Personalized

• At the core of the reCharge concept is a reloadable and biodegradable tread compound that can be recharged with individual capsules, radically simplifying the process of replacing your tires. Filled with a customized liquid compound, these capsules allow the tread to regenerate and the tire to adapt over time to climatic circumstances, road conditions, or simply how you want to travel. Thanks to artificial intelligence a driver profile would be created around which the liquid compound would be customized, generating a compound blend tailored to each individual.

Sustainable

• The compound itself would be made from a biological material and would be reinforced with fibres inspired by one of the toughest natural materials in the world - spider silk. This would make it both extremely durable and 100 percent biodegradable.

Hassle-Free

• In addition to radically simplifying the process of replacing your tires with rechargeable capsules, the tread would be supported by a light-weight, non-pneumatic frame and tall-and-narrow shape. This is a thin, robust low-maintenance construction that would eliminate the need for pressure maintenance or downtime related to punctures.

“The Goodyear reCharge is a concept tire without compromise, supporting personalized, sustainable and hassle-free electric mobility,” concluded Sebastien Fontaine, Lead Designer at the Goodyear Innovation Centre in Luxembourg.

Combining a traction level to meet the severe snow 3PMSF requirement while also delivering rolling resistance performance as an A-class tire is a significant achievement. Enabling both premium traction and premium fuel efficiency – a benefit from rolling resistance performance – helps represent an example of Goodyear’s successful role in future mobility solutions.

The project represented great teamwork and cross-functional collaboration between Goodyear’s technology teams in Luxembourg and Germany, leveraging the most recent tread pattern developments conducted in the replacement all-season lines, as well as new rubber compounding formulations. The Goodyear teams have been working with vehicle manufacturers on this technological breakthrough, with fitments planned for later this year on vehicles such as the Peugeot 2008/3008/5008, DS3 Crossback and DS7 Crossback.

Several additional Goodyear fitments for other original equipment manufacturers will follow this year.

“This project is a great example of anticipating the needs of the customer, demonstrating our technical superiority, and converting advanced technology into customer benefits,” said Xavier Fraipont, Goodyear’s vice president of EMEA Product Development.

Note: In European Tire Labeling, there are three categories: Fuel Efficiency; Wet Grip and Tire External Rolling Noise. In the Fuel Efficiency category, seven classes exist, ranging from G (least efficient) to A (most efficient).

Beyond just tire service, AndGo delivers full vehicle readiness, helping consumer fleets boost their performance. Through monitoring of service needs and quick and easy scheduling, AndGo activates Goodyear’s vast service network for convenient scheduling to reduce downtime.

Goodyear Chairman, CEO and President Richard J. Kramer said, “AndGo is another Goodyear innovation that will help enable mobility today and in the future. There is no one better positioned than Goodyear with our service network, intelligent tire solutions and predictive software to provide premium fleet readiness.”

Fleets engaging AndGo will benefit from continuous care through routine inspections and tire monitoring leveraging Goodyear’s intelligent tires. AndGo eliminates the guesswork in fleet management allowing fleets to focus on their end-customers, whether it is today’s drivers or passengers in emerging autonomous vehicles.

AndGo is currently available in select U.S. markets today and will expand to additional markets in mid-2020.

Through collaboration with fleets, AndGo will accelerate and create new standards for mobility, backed by the more than 120 years of Goodyear experience. For more information about AndGo, visit www.andgonow.com.

Goodyear Ventures will continue and expand Goodyear’s growing relationships in new mobility, with a focus on partnering and investing in startups with a shared vision of sustainable, safe and new mobility experiences that make life’s connections easier every day.

Goodyear’s Chairman, CEO and President Richard J. Kramer said, “Goodyear is a technology-driven mobility company that seeks out and partners with other mobility thought leaders ranging from small startups to proven business models. Goodyear Ventures will take this effort to the next level to engage and shape how people move in the future.” Goodyear Ventures will focus on eight themes shaping mobility:

• Electric and autonomous technologies
• Connected mobility solutions
• Next-generation public mobility
• Next-generation aviation mobility
• Future transportation infrastructure
• Future maintenance and operations
• Emerging technologies
• New tire materials

In addition to capital, Goodyear Ventures’ portfolio companies will have the opportunity to learn and grow with Goodyear through its extensive technology and innovation resources, vast vehicle service network, and global manufacturing and product development footprint. For more information on Goodyear Ventures, go to www.goodyearventures.com.

One pair of tires for Goodyear, one giant leap for the future of mobility: almost 50 years ago, Goodyear’s non-pneumatic XLTs were the first to ever leave a tire track on the moon. The 1950s and 60s were a period of intense innovation for Goodyear as it actively worked with pioneers to drive change and discovery. To this day, Goodyear has never seized reinventing both itself and mobility by creating and presenting state-of-the-art tires.

Since 1898 – back when its first products included carriage tires and horseshoe pads –Goodyear has been a company of technology driven firsts that partners with pioneers to shape the future of mobility. In 1969, that partner was NASA as Goodyear was chosen to create with non-pneumatic tires to equip a cart that astronauts could use to transport rock samples two years later.

The Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET), a two-wheeled unpowered cart used to carry equipment and samples collected by the astronauts on Apollo 14. The MET was about 75 kg when loaded, and was pulled at speeds up to 4 km/hr. Its wheels were made of smooth rubber and were supported by nitrogen filled inner-tubes. To make it easier to pull the cart through soft lunar soil and over rocks, the MET wheels were designed to be fairly compliant.

It’s a milestone that highlighted the extraordinary period of intense innovation for Goodyear. In 1965, its tires equipped Craig Breedlove’s jet-powered car, the Spirit of America, on its way to a new land speed record. In 1977, Goodyear changed the perception of consumers by offering them the choice to keep the same set of tires all year round with the iconic Tiempo: the world’s first all-season tire.

Goodyear’s innovations have been redefining tire performance, enriching people’s driving experience and pushing mobility boundaries for over 120 years. Goodyear proves it still is indispensable in today’s changing FACE of mobility – with a focus on Fleets, Autonomous, Connected and Electric vehicles – by annually showcasing futuristic concept tires like the Eagle 360, Oxygene and AERO at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Developed by Jim Street and legendary custom car designer George Barris, the Golden Sahara II was a platform for testing new electronics systems. It featured a control system with an aircraft-inspired control lever for acceleration, braking and steering and an automatic braking system that used sensors to detect potential objects in the car’s path.

The car’s tires were developed by Goodyear using Neothane,
a translucent form of synthetic rubber, and contained internal lighting, which allowed them to glow.

This was part of broader research by Goodyear into the feasibility of tires that could help improve visibility in bad weather conditions or be wired to light up when a driver hit the brakes.

In its heyday, the Golden Sahara II toured the United States, featuring on television and in films. It then sat in a garage for the best part of 50 years until Klairmont Kollections purchased the vehicle from Mecum Auctions in May 2018. The Golden Sahara II was restored with the help of Speakeasy Customs and Classics in Chicago and was presented at Geneva on four, newly-built Goodyear translucent tires.

More news from Goodyear at GIMS 2019

• The Goodyear AERO – A Concept Tire for Autonomous, Flying Cars
• New Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport range 

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures its products in 47 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate. or follow us on Twitter @Goodyearpress

About Klairmont Kollections

Klairmont Kollections is a privately-owned museum in Chicago. Recently open to the public, Klairmont Kollections boasts of a 100,000 square foot space with 300 eclectic cars on display. The vehicles range from turn of the century autos to one-of-a-kind historic vehicles like the Golden Sahara II. With an attached private event space that can seat up to 250 people, Klairmont is an ideal location for car enthusiasts, tour groups, and corporate events.

Website: www.klairmontkollections.com

Twitter: @klairmont_kars

Inquiries: info@klairmont kollections

Goodyear will conduct testing at the Mcity Test Facility with electric and autonomous vehicles, further developing its intelligent tires and the application of sensors, and extending its role in managing the connection of tires to the road, to vehicles and, ultimately, to consumers.

"To generate mobility solutions involving tires – and even beyond tires – we are actively working with key players to shape the future for autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing fleets, and the activity at Mcity will help get us there even faster," said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s chief technology officer.

The Mcity Test Facility is a purpose-built proving ground for testing connected and autonomous vehicles and technologies in simulated urban and suburban driving environments. Goodyear is the only tire company participating in research at the test facility. It joins nearly 60 other companies working with Mcity, including automotive manufacturers and suppliers, chip and hardware makers, insurance providers, and companies engaged in such technologies as advanced modeling, big data acquisition, and intelligent transportation systems.

"We're pleased to welcome Goodyear to our growing team of forward-thinking partners, especially considering the company’s reputation as a longtime industry leader," said Huei Peng, director of Mcity and the Roger L. McCarthy Professor of Mechanical Engineering at U-M. "Even as we test and plan for future forms of mobility, we acknowledge the critical role of tires in evolving forms of transportation."

For Goodyear, Mcity represents an extension of the company’s global innovation network that includes innovation centers, development centers and tire proving grounds around the world. The network also includes open innovation partnerships with numerous customers, suppliers, governments and universities.

"Just as our presence in Silicon Valley has accelerated Goodyear’s fast-advancing work in future mobility, the collaboration with other stakeholders at Mcity will offer potential benefits to deliver solutions in tire electronics and information systems, enhancing overall vehicle performance, safety and the consumer experience," said Helsel.

The innovative facility, with about 16 acres of roads and traffic infrastructure, is recognized as one of the leading connected and automated test facilities in the world. It combines early-stage research; testing in the state-of-the-art, real-world environment of the Mcity Test Facility; and on-road vehicle deployments to further prove new technologies.

Geneva, March 6th, 2018 – At the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, Goodyear showcased the latest advances on its intelligent tire prototype, a complete tire information system that includes a tire, sensors and cloud-based algorithms that all work together to communicate in real-time with fleet operators via a mobile app.

 “As shared mobility continues to grow in popularity, we are seeing applications where kilometers driven per vehicle will increase substantially in the years ahead,” said Chris Delaney, President of Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa. “For shared fleet operators, proactively managing tire service issues is critical to both the customer experience and the business model.”

The Goodyear intelligent tire prototype allows for continuous connectivity and real-time data sharing, enabling optimal tire usage for safer and more cost-efficient mobility and maximized uptime.

The sensors in Goodyear’s intelligent tire, together with the vehicle and third-party information, provide real-time data to Goodyear’s proprietary algorithms. Thanks to these algorithms, information on tire ID and status - including wear, temperature and pressure - is continuously updated and shared with fleet operators.

“Tire performance and wear information provide a real-time signal for when a tire needs service to extend its life, fuel economy and performance attributes,” Delaney continued. “This kind of proactive maintenance allows fleet operators to precisely identify and resolve tire-related and potential service issues before they happen.”

Shared mobility is continuing to grow based on desires for reduced cost and increased convenience for consumers. In 2015, shared kilometers accounted for 4% of global kilometers traveled. This number is projected to exceed 25% by 2030.[1]

“As the face of mobility continues to evolve, so will the needs of consumers and fleet operators,” said Delaney. “Goodyear is anticipating the products, services and experiences that will deliver the mobility that consumers and fleet operators need.”

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures its products in 48 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to https://www.goodyear.eu.   

[1] https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/car-of-future-is-autonomous-electric-shared-mobility

Brussels, Belgium - November 9, 2017 – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Ventech Systems GmbH, a leader in automated tire inspection technology, from Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH to support its fleet services in Europe and other geographies of the world.

Ventech Systems provides a fully-automated tire inspection system that quickly and easily checks tire pressure, tread depth and vehicle weight for buses, trucks, cars and other vehicles.

The company, based in Dorsten, Germany, will be integrated into the Goodyear Proactive Solutions business in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, where Goodyear’s Proactive Solutions program is currently available.

Andre Weisz, managing director, Goodyear Proactive Solutions, has been named chief executive officer of Ventech Systems. Andreas Pietsch, Ventech Systems chief operating officer, will remain in that position.

Last year, Goodyear launched Goodyear Proactive Solutions to provide a full suite of operations management solutions supporting fleet owners to improve safety, decrease fuel use, reduce their carbon footprint and support the digital transformation of their fleet.

The acquisition strengthens Goodyear’s one stop value proposition towards fleets, including premium tires, advanced technology and mobile fleet solutions as well as a complete service package to allow them to optimize their total cost of ownership and efficiency.

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 65,000 people and manufactures its products in 48 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate​​. GT-FN

Importance of the right tires

Goodyear invests a huge amount of time and effort in developing the optimal OE tires for new vehicles, which are designed specifically for brand, model and type. The attention dedicated to OE development yields the right fit for every car, based on its specific requirements, optimizing driving experience, safety and performance. Needless to say, when tires have run their course, replacing them with original equipment will maintain the car’s optimal performance.

The process

Innovation is the engine that drives OE equipment. Every vehicle is different, and the market continuously evolves, so every new OE tire requires Goodyear to rethink its blueprints and optimize its results. OE tire development can take between 2 and 3 years, from the first drawing to the final production. Every new vehicle needs OE tires and car manufacturers send their requirements - such as sharp handling, low noise or high-speed stability - to several tire companies. A team of engineers then create a first proposal. When the car maker has selected the OE tire that it feels will be the best fit for its vehicle, the development process takes off.

Analysis & simulation

Every OE process starts with a thorough research and development phase. Designers and automotive engineers dedicate up to six months to create the optimal synergy between vehicle and tire, continuously working in close collaboration with car manufacturers. This analysis phase is crucial to understand how an OE tire can complement the vehicle’s specific requirements.

Design & development

Once the tire design team and the automotive engineers have a detailed view of what the vehicle manufacturer wants and needs, Goodyear starts analyzing data and designing the OE tire. It takes somewhere between 18 and 24 months to combine specific requirements and tailor-made innovation into the optimal tire. During this phase, the team must select from more than 200 performance criteria that make the optimal OE tire. Of course, choices have to be made: every tire is a balancing act between performance characteristics that often contradict, such as:

 - Handling

 Addresses the way a tire reacts to steering, cornering and/or accelerating, contributing to high-performance driving, driver safety and the driving experience.

 - Braking

 Braking in both dry and wet conditions are crucial factors in a tire’s performance as it relates to driver safety.

 - Rolling resistance

 The force resisting the motion when a tire rolls on a surface. This is a crucial element for consumers as less friction means higher fuel efficiency.

 - Comfort

 The capability to cope with impacts, harshness and potential flat spots contributes to a comfortable and worry-free drive.

 - Noise

 Tires are one of the contributing factors to both a vehicle’s cabin noise (i.e. what the driver hears) as well as its pass-by noise (i.e. the external sound of a moving  vehicle).

 - Tread wear

 The rate at which tires wear down influence their durability, and the tire should wear evenly along its entire surface.

Testing

Before OE tires can be manufactured, they have to go through a rigorous testing phase. Engineers and test drivers put the prototypes to extensive tests. Each new tire is benchmarked against more than 50 performance criteria at Goodyear’s testing facilities.

The end product will be the result of up to 200 test drives on a variety of terrains, environments and test tracks, along with up to 400 tests in laboratories, adding up to a whopping 300,000 test kilometers in the most diverse weather conditions.

Manufacturing

Once the tire has passed all the tests and has been approved by the vehicle manufacturer, the industrialization phase can finally start. Due to the tire being tailor-made for each vehicle model, this last stage still takes 2 to 6 months. What rolls off the production line is the painstaking result of years of meticulous design, thorough testing and made-to-order production – all with the ultimate goal of delivering an optimal driving experience, contributing to safety and performance.

Launch

In a final phase, the market-ready tires are fitted onto the vehicles they were designed for, and introduced to customers. When it is time for replacement, drivers can ask dealers to re-fit their precious vehicles with the OE tires that were specifically designed for them. Generally, OE tires can come in summer, winter and all-season editions. Some OE tires are marked by the car manufacturer in order to be easily recognized by consumers, providing the right choice each time.

Goodyear always strives to combine its rich heritage with a position firmly at the forefront of technological advancement. In the future, the company will focus on:

- Improving sustainability by achieving Ultra Low Rolling Resistance (ULRR) and going towards the use of sustainable manufacturing processes and materials;
- Enhancing handling for Ultra (Ultra) High Performance vehicles (UHP and UUHP);
- Improving comfort by lowering vibrations, harshness and interior/exterior noise.

AKRON, Ohio, September 20, 2017 – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced today that it has agreed to acquire Ventech Systems GmbH, a leader in automated tire inspection technology, from Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH.

Ventech Systems (https://ventech.de/en), based in Dorsten, Germany, delivers innovative measuring devices for the vehicle industry. The company was founded in 2006. It provides a fully-automated tire inspection system that quickly and easily checks tire pressure, tread depth and vehicle weight for buses, trucks, cars and other vehicles.

“Over the past three years, our Goodyear Proactive Solutions business has collaborated with Ventech Systems to integrate its data gathering and analysis capabilities into our fleet management solution,” said Christopher Helsel, Goodyear vice president and chief technology officer. “Feedback from our fleet customers has been excellent, and we view this as an important opportunity to enhance our service and value proposition for customers.”

“Goodyear and Ventech Systems are both companies founded and driven by innovation,” said Andreas Pietsch, Ventech Systems chief operating officer and business manager. “Goodyear’s strong market presence enables additional worldwide growth opportunities for Ventech Systems. We are excited to support Goodyear’s fleet customers with our unique technology in terms of process optimization, business efficiency and road safety.”

Truck tire care and maintenance is one of the largest contributors to commercial fleet uptime and total cost of operations. Last year, Goodyear launched Goodyear Proactive Solutions in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region to provide a full suite of demonstrated Vehicle-To-Fleet operations management solutions supporting fleet owners to improve vehicle and fleet safety, decrease fuel use, reduce their carbon footprint and support the digital transformation of their fleet.

The acquisition of Ventech Systems will further expand Goodyear Proactive Solutions’ commercial offerings with an efficient, user-friendly closed loop service enabling fleet operators to measure tire pressure, tread depth and vehicle weight on all their vehicles each time they enter or exit their depot.

In addition to its Goodyear Proactive Solutions mobile tire/fleet management offerings, Goodyear is also working with automakers to provide tire information to vehicle control systems to enhance safety and performance. Earlier this month it announced that it is equipping Tesloop, a city-to-city mobility service that exclusively uses Tesla electric vehicles, with wireless sensors in its tires to improve overall tire management and maximize uptime for its growing fleet.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. The business and technology will be integrated into the company’s Goodyear Proactive Solutions business.

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 65,000 people and manufactures its products in 47 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate​​. GT-FN

COLMAR-BERG, Luxembourg – September 12, 2017 – Advancing its connected-business model, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today announced plans to create a new facility in Luxembourg that utilizes an innovative production process to meet growing customer and consumer demand for premium tires.

Named Mercury, the proprietary process features highly-automated, interconnected workstations, using additive manufacturing technologies to efficiently produce premium tires in small- batch quantities on-demand for replacement and original equipment customers.

Goodyear Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Richard J. Kramer announced Mercury and the company's plans at the groundbreaking event for the facility here.

"Mercury addresses the increasing complexity in the tire industry as the number of vehicle models and options available to consumers continues to proliferate," said Kramer. "It gives us the capability to increase our speed and flexibility to meet the growing demand for small volumes of high- margin, premium Goodyear tires and to deliver them to customers on demand, faster than ever."

"Mercury will advance our connected business model, which aligns all of our assets – from the production floor to consumers who choose Goodyear online and at retail," he added. "It will complement our existing high-volume facilities and give us a true competitive advantage."

The new facility, set to open in 2019, is in close proximity to Goodyear's Luxembourg innovation center and tire proving grounds. The company is investing $77 million in the facility, which will produce approximately 500,000 tires annually and create approximately 70 new, full-time positions.

The technology used in the Mercury production process was developed and tested over the past five years at Goodyear's innovation and development centers. The name Mercury is a reference to the mythical god of trade and travel, which inspired the creation of Goodyear's winged foot logo by company founder Frank A. Seiberling.

• Intelligent tire integrates with connected car fleet to deliver data-driven diagnostics
• Focus on data gathering and analytics to serve shared mobility business models
• Effort builds on successful launch of Goodyear Proactive Solutions for commercial fleets

Goodyear announced that it is equipping Tesloop, a city-to-city mobility service that exclusively uses Tesla electric vehicles, with wireless sensors in its tires to improve overall tire management and maximize uptime for its growing fleet.

“We want to build the future, not just observe or read about it,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s chief technology officer. “As the new mobility ecosystem continues to take shape, we are taking steps to match the pace of technical change in the transportation industry and develop tire innovations that meet the intelligence of the vehicles riding on them.”

The wireless sensors continuously measure and record tire temperature and pressure, which is paired with other vehicle data and connected to Goodyear’s cloud-based proprietary algorithms to enhance overall fleet operations and predict when the tires need service or replacement.

As part of the program with Tesloop, Goodyear is also extending its mobile fleet solutions to passenger vehicles, providing tire maintenance and repair while Tesloop vehicles are at charging stations, during regularly planned downtime.

“When you are operating cars nearly 24/7/365, minimizing tire incidents is critical to the customer experience and the business model,” said Rahul Sonnad, Tesloop’s CEO. “The possibilities for data-driven tire diagnostics are remarkable and promise to help a business like Tesloop operate more efficiently and make our vehicles the safest on the road.”

Tesloop operates a fleet of Teslas that average up to 17,000 miles per vehicle, per month. Its highest-mileage vehicle, a Tesla Model S in operation since 2015, recently exceeded 300,000 service miles. Goodyear has been working with Tesloop since January 2017 to study the effect of autonomous technologies on tires.

Goodyear’s effort with Tesloop builds on its successful commercialization of Goodyear Proactive Solutions for truck fleets, using advanced telematics and predictive analytics technology to allow fleet operators to optimize fuel efficiency and precisely identify and resolve tire-related issues before they happen.

In addition to its fleet management offerings, Goodyear is also working with automakers to provide tire information to vehicle control systems to enhance safety and performance.

Helsel added, “Goodyear is breaking new ground with the combination of fleet management expertise, intelligent products, and a vast service network to deliver complete solutions for the future of mobility.” 

Speaking at the inauguration, Jean Claude Kihn, Goodyear’s President for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said “Goodyear’s strategy is founded on producing high-quality, innovative products as the shift to more complex, high-value added tires continues to accelerate. Our investment in this state of the art facility will enable us to meet the exacting demands of our customers and consumers. Additionally, it further strengthens our presence in and commitment to Luxembourg.”

The new laboratory is equipped to perform three key testing activities. The lab will conduct tire development performance measurements, where all new tire developments need to successfully pass certain performance criteria. The new lab will also conduct regulatory and homologation tests to measure tire compliance with a large variety of global and international standards, as well as monitor production performance and quality control.

In addition to Kihn and other Goodyear leaders, the laboratory was inaugurated by Gast Jacobs, mayor of Colmar-Berg.

Speaking at the event, Mayor Jacobs said: “Goodyear has a long history of innovation, research and development in Luxembourg. We welcome its continuous support with diversifying the economy in Luxembourg and here in Colmar-Berg especially.”

Carlos Cipollitti, Goodyear’s vice president, Product Development EMEA and general director of the Goodyear Innovation Center in Luxembourg, added, “The innovative technology and machinery in the new laboratory strengthens our ability to test tires in our lab, which means that we do not have to perform as much testing on the road, speeding development time and getting innovative new tires to customers faster than ever.”  

Geneva, March 8th - Goodyear presents its latest concept tire, Goodyear CityCube, designed for the Toyota i-TRIL concept car unveiled at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show.

Thanks to advanced sensor technology and a unique tread design, the CityCube can identify a variety of road conditions and transmit this data to the vehicle to support the advanced collision prevention systems.

The front wheels on the Toyota i-TRIL tilt, which inspired Goodyear’s designers to think about motorcycle tire design. The result is a unique contour shape and mixed fitment, a tall and narrow tire at the front and a wider asymmetric design for the rear.

The front tilting wheels fit Tall and Narrow tires with reverse direction, inspired by the symmetric design of motorcycle tires.

This helps enhance safe driving and removes water for the larger rear tire, providing better grip.

The rear tires have an asymmetric design with a more solid inside part for more cornering stability.

Goodyear has also introduced a new Hologram Texture to the design, with state of the art gradient sidewall colours which offer a unique, premium and appealing appearance.

Tailored to meet Toyota’s exacting requirements, CityCube is designed to be lightweight with low rolling resistance, which is an important feature for future electric vehicle tires. The CityCube also has a reduced groove volume, providing higher mileage and reduces noise levels which can add to a better city life.

David Anckaert, General Director OE Product Development EMEA at Goodyear, commented: “We are delighted to present this innovative concept tire for the Toyota i-TRIL concept car. Once again, Goodyear confirms its expertise in the development of tailor-made solutions for car manufacturers. We are committed to designing solutions to enable new mobility trends, such as autonomous vehicles and smart cities.

Geneva, March 7th - Goodyear has revealed its long-term vision for future smart, connected tires. In an evolving mobility ecosystem defined by the transition to driverless vehicles and shared mobility in urban centers, Goodyear aims to revolutionize the interaction between tires, vehicles and their surroundings. Goodyear unveiled the Eagle 360 Urban, its latest concept tire, at the Geneva International Motor Show. This 3-D printed sphere is the first concept tire to be powered by Artificial Intelligence and able to sense, decide, transform and interact.

“A revolution will take place at the intersection of autonomy, mobility and connectivity. As this unfolds, tire technology will be even more important than it is today. To safely navigate their surroundings, the autonomous vehicles of the future will need to learn to cope with the millions of possible unknowns we face in every day driving scenarios. To do so they will need access to data and the ability to learn and adapt,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, president of Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Last year, with the Eagle 360 concept tire, Goodyear presented a unique, multi-directional sphere to match the demands of autonomous driving through increased levels of comfort, safety and maneuverability. The positive feedback received encouraged the manufacturer to take this concept even further.

This year, with the Eagle 360 Urban, Goodyear is pushing the boundaries again, aiming to illustrate a vision of how the future could look. Powered by Artificial Intelligence, Goodyear is giving the concept tire a ‘brain’. Combined with a bionic skin and morphing tread, the Eagle 360 Urban has the ability to put knowledge into practice. The tire will become part of the vehicle’s ‘nervous system’ and the connected world of the Internet of Things. That way, it is ready to rapidly adapt to changing circumstances, as well as the evolving needs of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) for fleets and their users. 

Goodyear’s Eagle 360 Urban features bionic skin with a sensor network that allows the concept tire to check on its own status and gather information on its environment, including the road surface. Via connectivity with other vehicles as well as infrastructure, traffic and mobility management systems, the Eagle 360 Urban also captures information on its surroundings in real-time.

By combining these sources of information and processing them instantaneously using neural networks trained with deep learning algorithms, the Eagle 360 Urban decides the most appropriate course of action. And, powered by Artificial Intelligence, the Eagle 360 Urban learns from previous actions how to optimize future responses.

Made of super-elastic polymer, the tire’s bionic skin has a flexibility similar to that of human skin, allowing it to expand and contract. This outer layer covers a foam-like material that is strong enough to remain flexible despite the weight of a vehicle. Thanks to this flexibility, actuator elements beneath the tire’s surface, which are components that change shape with an electrical input, working like human muscles, can re-shape the individual sections of the tire’s tread design, adding ‘dimples’ for wet conditions or smoothing the tread for dry conditions. A new tread with a safer contact patch is thus deployed.

Using this morphing tread, the Eagle 360 Urban transforms and adapts to changing road and weather conditions.  The concept tire can then interact to share the information it has captured, the related action and its success with other vehicles and all of the elements making up the Internet of Things.

When the tire’s bionic skin is damaged, the sensors in the tread can locate the puncture. The tire then rotates to create a different contact patch. This reduces pressure on the puncture and allows the self-healing process to start. The self-healing works thanks to materials which are specifically designed to be able to flow towards the puncture. They react physically and chemically with each other to form new molecular bonds, closing the puncture.

This new generation of tires will create added value for OEM partners and the evolving providers of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) by maximizing uptime and providing proactive maintenance. For the everyday commuter they will offer an improved experience by adding a new dimension to the safety performance and learning capabilities of autonomous driving.

This year Goodyear invited students from French design school ISD RUBIKA​ to envision and develop a concept vehicle tailor-made for the Eagle 360 Urban concept tire. Working closely together with Goodyear’s designers, the students created Vision UMOD, a vehicle for future cities and adapted to the needs of future mobility.[1]

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

1. The Artificial Intelligence unit serves as the ‘brain’ of the tire and enables the tire to:

• Continuously sense the road condition and the surrounding environment in real-time and check on its own status in real-time.
• Process the information it captures using neural networks trained with deep learning algorithms to decide what to do and learn for the future.
• Transform using its own morphing tread and tire/vehicle interface.
• Interact with other vehicles and all of the elements making up the Internet of Things to share the information it has captured and lessons learned.

2. The bionic skin’s high-sensory capacity tread, with its sensor network, captures information on road and weather conditions and transmits this input to:

• the tire to optimize the morphing of the tread.
• the vehicle’s ‘nervous system’ to improve the car’s braking, handling and efficiency.
• all of the elements making up the Internet of Things to inform other tires and vehicles expected to take the same road.

3. The intelligent morphing tread prepares the vehicle for the unexpected by proactively providing safety under all conditions. Depending on the road and weather conditions, the most appropriate tread pattern appears autonomously with the help of the bionic skin of the tire. 

4.The bionic skin allows self-healing repair. And, in combination with the Artificial Intelligence unit, it measures current and predicts future tire wear to allow automated tire management, enabling predictive and proactive maintenance. This maximizes uptime and safety, offering an improved mobility user experience at all times for Mobility as a Service (MaaS) providers.

5. The spherical shape moves in all directions and contributes to comfort, safety and maneuverability to match the demands of autonomous mobility and mobility as a service. The shape also copes with space limitations in smart cities (smaller parking spaces, platoon driving, maneuvering, easy to replace...).

Connect & Download

Visit our stand at Geneva International Motor Show: Stand 2056, Hall 2 or visit our EMEA newsroom​

Goodyear Eagle 360 Urban and RUBIKA Vision UMOD video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAdw09M-F-g​

[1] Created by: Laurent Cariou, Mathis Cosson, Hugo Glorennec & Alexandre Moulin 

Geneva, March 7th – At the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show, Goodyear unveiled what the tire of the near future could look like. The IntelliGrip Urban is a concept tire designed for future-generation autonomous electric ride-sharing vehicles in urban areas.

On-demand transportation – or ride-sharing – as an alternative to taxis, rental cars, or actual driving is no longer just the choice of millennials. The value in convenience of immediacy, location and payment is appealing to all demographics and is bringing ride sharing services into the mainstream. The trend toward urban life creates an ideal environment for the adoption of these new modes of transportation.

“With a focus on vehicles for future urban areas, the IntelliGrip Urban concept tire’s technical features aim to maximize uptime and energy efficiency. This is crucial for ‘Mobility as a Service’ providers to offer improved mobility to their customers,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, president of Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The Goodyear IntelliGrip Urban, with its advanced Sensor-in-Tire technology, is a smart tire designed to support autonomous vehicle control systems and enhance passenger safety. The concept tire senses road and weather conditions. By gathering this critical data and sending it directly to the vehicle’s computer system, it enables the car to optimize speed, braking, handling and stability.

Future-generation autonomous fleets will be operating in a complex environment, with other vehicles, drivers, pedestrians and data from all of the elements making up the Internet of Things. Tires such as the Goodyear IntelliGrip Urban could play a critical role in this evolving ecosystem.

Furthermore, fleet operators will benefit from the tire’s tall and narrow shape, which reduces rolling resistance to increase energy efficiency and range of electrical vehicle fleets in an urban environment. The IntelliGrip Urban’s sensor technology would also allow operators to precisely identify and resolve tire-related issues before they happen.

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The IntelliGrip Urban would enable fleets to monitor their vehicles and tires in real time, giving them a competitive advantage whilst helping to increase their profitability, supported by following key features:

• Sensor-in-Tire technology helps autonomous cars to better read road conditions, supporting and enhancing passenger safety and peace of mind. The entire fleet can benefit from the crucial Tire-to-Vehicle information exchange via the cloud.
• Proactive maintenance allows fleet operators to precisely identify and resolve tire-related and potential safety issues before they happen. A one-stop, user-friendly solution to maximize tire performance and schedule proactive maintenance helps to reduce total cost of operations and improve the uptime, efficiency and sustainability of the fleet.
• Tall and Narrow shape reduces the rolling resistance of the tire in order to increase the energy efficiency and range of the electrical vehicle fleet in an urban environment. The concept tire’s shape also contributes to improved aquaplaning performance, which allowed Goodyear’s designers to decrease the amount of grooves on the tire, increasing mileage and reducing noise levels.

The specially-designed tread provides grip in both winter and summer conditions in urban environments, maximizing uptime and optimizing the efficiency for fleets.

###

Note to editor: Follow us on Twitter @GoodyearPress and join our ThinkGoodMobility group on LinkedIn. All press materials are available for download at news.goodyear.eu

About Goodyear
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 66,000 people and manufactures its products in 48 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

Here’s a sneak preview of what Goodyear will have in store: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTKg-vu6IRk&feature=youtu.be​​

Providing traction for all road and weather conditions, the Tiempo's special rubber compounding held excellent grip on rainy and wet surfaces, and unlike any tire already on the market, could be used year-round, saving the cost of seasonal change-overs and providing reassurance to drivers living in areas experiencing temperamental weather conditions.

In celebration of the anniversary of the all season tire, and to raise awareness of the innovation invested in its range, Goodyear has partnered with artist and inventor, Dominic Wilcox, to reinvent typically one season items and make them fit-for-purpose all year round. From skateboards, barbecues and convertible cars, the gallery of inventions can be viewed at www.hugtheroads.com/allseasons.

"As a company driven by innovation, we love pushing boundaries and exploring new opportunities. Over thirty years ago, we adapted the standard tire to make it ready for any weather condition, and our work with Dominic means we're able to bring our innovation thinking through to other objects," explains Martijn De Jonge, Brand Director Consumer PBU EMEA at Goodyear.

Since the Tiempo, growing consumer demand and constant innovation has pushed All Seasons variants to record levels across the market.

The All Seasons market now accounts for five per cent of all tire sales across Europe, with high double digit growth since 2012 and double digit growth year on year (2014-2015) *. Goodyear's own research also suggests the market will account for 10% of all sales by 2020, boosted by regions which have a soft winter, with less regular sub-zero temperatures but still conditions such as light snow and ice.

Changing weather conditions, an increased demand for fewer tire changes throughout the year and overall cost savings, have made all-season tires an appealing product, particularly for the driver of the second commuter car in the family that covers a lower mileage annually.

"In Europe, there is widespread knowledge about what All Season tires can offer," continues Martijn.

"Consumer demand for All Seasons tires has increased across Europe, and we expect this to grow in Europe in the next five years. There is a growing awareness and understanding of the importance of having tires which can handle unpredictable changes between wet and dry conditions, sudden temperature changes and can even cope with snow."

Whilst others have followed Goodyear to market with all season variants, Goodyear's current All Seasons Vector range continues to win plaudits in independent tests and from OEM manufacturers, as shown in the latest all-season test carried out by leading English magazine 'Auto Express', where Goodyear has taken the crown once again with the Vector 4Seasons Gen-2 tire**.

Named as an 'all-rounder offering peace of mind' and 'a balanced tire with excellent performance in all circumstances', the Vector 4Seasons Generation-2 continues to offer drivers great performance in all weather conditions, including dry, wet, slushy, as well as snowy and icy roads**.

Verified with the three peak snow flake marking, meaning the tire meets the official standards of dedicated winter tires, independent test results have also demonstrated that the Vector 4Seasons Gen-2 shows a 6 per cent shorter braking distance on wet and an 8 per cent shorter braking distance on snowy roads compared to the average of its three leading competitors**.

Martijn continues, "Goodyear's ground breaking innovation changed the perception of tires making them ready for any weather condition, with great success. We envisage the market for All Seasons will only continue to grow, and we will continue to invest into this market segment with a full portfolio of all-season products."

To find out more about the Goodyear All Seasons inventions, visit www.hugtheroads.com/allseasons or watch the video here.

Technology is emerging so that we can climb into our cars, enter a destination, and sit back and relax as the driving is done for us. This could be the future of mobility with autonomous vehicles (AVs), and Goodyear is helping drivers to "think ahead" to the roads of tomorrow.

As one of the world's largest tire manufacturers, we want to know what drivers think about AVs. In collaboration with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), we conducted a study to find out about their attitudes using an online survey in 11 European countries and focus groups in four European countries. Here is what we learned: 
    
• Comfort. Just over a quarter (26%) of respondents said that they would be comfortable using an AV themselves, while 29% said that they would be comfortable driving alongside one. Conversely, 44% feel uncomfortable about using an AV, whilst 41% feel uncomfortable about driving alongside one.  

• Safety. Twice as many respondents agreed (43%) than disagreed (19%) that AVs would be safer, since most accidents are caused by human error. However, concerns about AV technology persist, with 73% of respondents fearing that "autonomous vehicles could malfunction." 

• Behavior. Focus group participants expected AVs to be "well-behaved" and abide by the rules of the road. They saw the potential for AVs to "weed out" the "bad behavior" of other drivers. And almost twice as many survey respondents agreed (37%) as disagreed (21%) that "machines don't have emotions so they might be better drivers than humans." At the same time, 60% were concerned that "machines don't have the common sense needed to interact with human drivers."

• Sociability. The respondents most open to AVs are those who, on average, have a more "combative" view of the road and are anxious about the behavior of other drivers. The respondents least open to AVs are those who, on average, are more sociable drivers who enjoy their interactions with other drivers.  

• Control. 70% of respondents agreed that "as a point of principle, humans should be in control of their vehicles." And 80% would want AVs to have a steering wheel. 

• Innovation. A clear majority of respondents (64%) were in favor of "smart tires" with intelligent sensors capable of assessing road and weather conditions in AVs. 

• Leisure. Becoming leisurely passengers on the road with time to relax or work was a possibility readily discussed by focus group participants. Although many (82%) survey respondents reported that they would struggle to let go and would prefer to keep aware of the road around them.
 
These results come as no surprise to Goodyear. Carlos Cipollitti, General Director of the Goodyear Innovation Centre in Luxembourg, said: "AVs are coming. Understanding how drivers experience the road today and how they feel AVs should fit in is crucial. Goodyear is exploring some of the key areas that are shaping the future of mobility. We hope that the insights generated by this research will help all relevant stakeholders to work together towards a successful introduction of AVs."

Dr. Chris Tennant, who led the project for LSE, explains: "AVs are not simply another new technology. They are emerging in an intensely social space with a wide range of factors influencing the public's levels of openness towards them."

The study is part of Goodyear's ThinkGoodMobility​ platform. It was conducted using a combination of focus groups in 4 European countries with 48 participants, and an online survey with approximately 12,000 respondents in 11 European countries. It builds on widely reported research with LSE in 2015 that explored the social behavior of drivers on the road. 

Goodyear envisions a future in which our products will become more connected with the vehicle itself, other vehicles and infrastructure. In this context, our research in EMEA contributes to the wider debates on the future of mobility and road safety.

Country Snapshots

• Polish and French respondents expressed the greatest level of belief, on average, that AVs would be safer than conventional cars.
• French and German respondents expressed the greatest level of concern, on average, about the lack of human control in AVs, while Dutch respondents were the least concerned.
• UK and Polish respondents expressed the greatest level of belief, on average, that machines don't have emotions so they might be better drivers than humans, whereas Belgian respondents the lowest.
• Czech respondents expressed the greatest level of concern, on average, that AVs lack the common sense required to interact with human drivers, whereas Italians were the least concerned.
• Czech respondents would miss the enjoyment of driving the most, while Dutch respondents were the least concerned about this loss.

11 European Countries Surveyed

• Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Serbia, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.

About ThinkGoodMobility

ThinkGoodMobility is a content and knowledge platform empowered by Goodyear on smart, safe and sustainable mobility.

About LSE

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the foremost social science universities in the world.

LSE is a specialist university with an international intake and a global reach. Its research and teaching span the full breadth of the social sciences, from economics, politics and law to sociology, anthropology, accounting and finance.

Founded in 1895, the School has an outstanding reputation for academic excellence. 16 Nobel Prize winners have been LSE staff or alumni. The School has a cosmopolitan student body, with around 9,500 full time students from 140 countries. LSE has a staff of over 3,000, with about 46 per cent drawn from countries outside the UK.

Contact LSE:

• Rehanna Neky, Marketing and Communications Manager, +44 20 7852 3711, R.Neky@lse.ac.uk

Publications: 

• Download the full study and infographic​ on the ThinkGoodMobility website
• ThinkGoodMobility: Millennials' view on the Future of Mobility in Europe​, a 2015 survey from ThinkYoung and Goodyear.
• Executive summary of The Ripple Effect of Drivers' Behavior on the Road​​, a 2015 study from LSE and Goodyear.
• Available upon request: previous road safety surveys commissioned by Goodyear

“By steadily reducing the driver interaction and intervention in self-driving vehicles, tires will play an even more important role as the primary link to the road,” said Goodyear’s Chief Technical Officer Joe Zekoski. “Goodyear’s concept tires play a dual role in that future both as creative platforms to push the boundaries of conventional thinking and testbeds for next-generation technologies.”

The Goodyear Eagle-360 is a spherical-shaped design concept tire that would provide self-driving cars ultimate maneuverability, connectivity and biomimicry to increase safety. An in-depth description of the concept’s technology can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSFYwDDVgac.

“Although the Eagle-360 is a future concept, it represents an essential aspect of Goodyear’s innovation strategy and our vision for smart and safe mobility.”

A full list of the 2016 Time magazine “Best Inventions of the Year 2016” is available online at http://time.com/4572079/best-inventions-2016/​​.

A number of our research work and technologies focus on optimizing the tire performances in all kind of conditions as external parameters such as road and weather conditions can influence the overall performance of a tire.

Winter tire technology

Driving in winter conditions can be quite challenging. This is why we develop winter tires tires that help drivers to maintain control in adverse weather conditions, when grip can be reduced, and sometimes can feel non-existent. A winter tire has to perform efficiently in all conditions, from a dry road to an icy surface. Winter tire technology not only enhances road safety and mobility in snow and ice but also enables vehicles to perform better in handling, braking, cornering and accelerating in cold weather conditions when temperatures fall below 7ᵒC.

As one of the leaders in winter tire development, Goodyear and Dunlop introduce new winter tires every 2 to 3 years and the development process includes:

• distinctive tread design including special grooves and multi-dimensional sipes
• types and composition of the tread
• softer and more flexible polymer compounds
• special sipe technology
• shape of the contact patch:

For summer driving and warmer temperatures the use of standard tires is recommended, as they offer the optimal performance on dry and wet roads under these conditions. 

Goodyear's Air Maintenance Technology (AMT)

The correct tire pressure is key for the tire to perform at its best and contributes fuel efficiency, reduced emission, increased mileage and handling of the vehicle. 

The Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) of Goodyear consists of a self-inflating tire system, this means it conserves the correct tire pressure within the tire without any help of external pumps, electronics or intervention of the driver.

SoundComfort : Foam in Tire technology

A rolling tire generates some of the noise that is heard inside the vehicle. A very specific tire-noise is “cavity resonance.” 
The air inside the tire can be compared with the air inside an organ pipe. The air starts to vibrate when it’s activated…in the case of a tire, the activation happens through irregularities roughness when the tire is rolling down the road. This vibration is transmitted into the vehicle and is heard as a noise.

By attaching a strip of foam to inside of the tire we can reduce the noise intensity by a factor 2 inside the vehicle, without having any impact on other key performances of the tire. This represents a very significant improvement of the overall comfort level inside the vehicle, especially for EVs and high end hybrid cars.

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology

RFID technology allows each tire to be quickly identified, offering commercial fleet owners time savings.
The technology consists of a built-in small chip for truck tires that communicates with Goodyear’s online tire management interface, FleetOnlineSolutions with the help of a specialized scanner that gathers and registers the tire information accurately far more efficiently than done manually. 

More info: please have a look at the respective videos on Worry-free Mobility

We are looking for opportunities to help reduce the tire industry’s use of petroleum-derived products and also enhance the tire performance with innovative and renewable material solutions.

In our tire development we also focus on lowering the rolling resistance of our tires, which has an positive impact on reducing the fuel consumption and emission levels of the vehicle.

FuelSaving technology

Thanks to the FuelSaving Technology our EfficientGrip performance tire rages lowers rolling resistance, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and emissions.  

Tall and Narrow’

This type of tire has been especially designed and developed for the new Renault Scenic.

Obviously ‘Tall’ stands for the rim diameter.  With a bigger rim size there will be less deformation of the tire and as a result less heat generated within the tyre, this results in lower rolling resistance and fuel savings. A taller tyre will offer also more mileage as it has more wearable rubber volume .

‘Narrow’ relates to the section width of the tire, narrower tires will enhance aerodynamics (= fuel economy) as well as better aquaplaning resistance* and a quieter ride.

Rice Husk Ash Silica 

Rice husks are burned to produce electricity and the waste waste once headed for landfills. Now Goodyear recycles the ashes as an environmentally friendly source of silica for use in its tires.

We tested the silica derived from rice husk ash over the past two years at our Innovation Center and found its impact on tire performance to be equal to traditional sources.

Soybean Oil

The use of soybean oil in tires could potentially increase the tire’s tread life by around 10 percent and at the same time reduce our use of petroleum-based oil by up to seven million gallons each year.  

On top we found during testing that rubber compounds of soybean oil mix more easily with the silica used in tires. As we can increase our plant efficiency, this has a positive impact on reducing energy and greenhouse gas emissions during the production of tires.

 
BioIsoprene™

BioIsoprene is a revolutionary bio-based alternative for oil-derived isoprene developed by Goodyear and DuPont Industrial Biosciences. It is can be deployed to produce synthetic rubber – as an alternative for natural rubber and other elastomers. 

 
Please contact us for more information if you have an interest in our technologies contribution to sustainable technology.