“Goodyear wants the tyre 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 tyre primed for the future of personalised 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 tyres. Filled with a customized liquid compound, these capsules allow the tread to regenerate and the tyre 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 customised, 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 tyres 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 tyre without compromise, supporting personalized, sustainable and hassle-free electric mobility,” concluded Sebastien Fontaine, Lead Designer at the Goodyear Innovation Centre in Luxembourg.

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 tyre solutions and predictive software to provide premium fleet readiness.”

Fleets engaging AndGo will benefit from continuous care through routine inspections and tyre monitoring leveraging Goodyear’s intelligent tyres. 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 tyre 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.

Goodyear’s concept tyres 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 tyre includes several innovative features:

• EV motor cooling: Drawing on Goodyear’s expertise in aerodynamics, the concept tyres are designed to improve the cooling of the EV motors. Cool air enters through the front bumper intake and fins on the tyres 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 tyre 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 tyres. 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 tyre for the Lexus LF-30 Electrified concept comes in a 285/35R24 size.

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).