Goodyear launches new Fuelmax Endurance truck tyre range
Goodyear has launched its new Fuelmax Endurance truck tyre range, which it claims will support “thousands” of European fleets and truck manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprint.
This range of steer and drive axle tyres combines the fuel efficiency levels known in long-haul applications with the durability, traction and mileage required to drive on secondary and state roads, according to Goodyear.
The company states the new product line is the most “versatile fuel-efficient” it has ever produced and underlines all sizes feature a B-label in fuel efficiency, while offering a leading performance in inter-regional applications.
Goodyear says its decision to launch a new tyre range that focuses on both fuel efficiency and endurance anticipates the move towards more sustainable transport and evolving demand for more versatile products by both transportation companies and truck manufacturers.
“Vehicle manufacturers, fleet managers and operators are under increasing pressure to meet sustainability targets whilst operating on low margins,” says Grégory Boucharlat, vice president commercial Europe, Goodyear.
He adds: “Regulators, investors and end-customers are demanding ‘clean’ products being transported in the most sustainable way. To support a real move towards a climate-neutral future in a highly complex environment like transportation, green and efficient operations need to go hand-in-hand, without adding complexity.
“With the new Fuelmax Endurance, we bring the fuel efficiency known in highway operations to secondary and state routes. It’s efficient and hard-wearing, offering low emissions and excellent grip as well as long-lasting performance and mileage.”
Goodyear claims the new truck tyre range covers a wide variety of haulage applications while supporting manufacturers to further lower emissions levels of new heavy-duty-vehicles by two per cent on average in comparison to a C-label tyre for fuel efficiency.
In line with Europe’s overall ambition, CO2 emissions of new production commercial vehicles need to be reduced by 15 per cent from 2025 onwards and even double, 30 per cent as of 2030 in comparison to 2019-20 baseline.
Until now, transportation operators often had to choose between durability, strong mileage performance or excellent fuel efficiency when it comes to tyres.
According to Goodyear, the Fuelmax Endurance range is designed to make that choice easier for fleet managers who are seeking cost and fuel efficiency as they are no longer limited by the type of road they operate on.
Maciej Szymanski, marketing director commercial Europe, Goodyear says: “The Fuelmax Endurance range is a real gamechanger within the tyre and transportation industry as it is efficient and versatile offering both low emissions and excellent mileage plus traction.
“A reduction of two per cent in CO2 reduction translates into a saving of about one tonne CO2 emissions and 400 litres of fuel per truck, per year.
“In case a 100 vehicles fleet switches from a C-label to a fuel-efficient B-label tyre like the Fuelmax Endurance range, this would represent a potential saving of 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions and 40,000 Litres of fuel, per year. You can imagine the potential when we start multiplying the numbers of vehicles and fleets.”
The Fuelmax S Endurance steer tyre combines Goodyear’s proven IntelliMax Rib Technology in a five or six rib design with ingenuity in the rib distribution and groove geometry. The stiffeners in the shoulder grooves connect when the tyre rolls increasing the robustness of tyre and limiting wear in more demanding off-highway journeys, where stop-start driving, curb stone impact, increased turning and manoeuvring and more braking put additional demands on tyres.
The increased tread depth on selected steer sizes results in more wearable rubber, providing better grip later in the service life, according to Goodyear.
An innovative low energy-loss tread compound offsets heat generation caused by load forces on the steer position. A number of steer tyres also feature an optimised sidewall compound further contributing to lower emissions and fuel efficiency as it decreases flexion and deformation of the sidewall in off-highway operations.
In addition, to the innovative tread compound for use on the drive axle, the drive tyre benefits of a dedicated curing process to further optimise rolling resistance. The directional tread design includes a high number of deep sipes, deep centre grooves and more biting edges to improve traction and evacuate water more effectively.
By combining recognised and new technologies, Goodyear says the full Fuelmax Endurance range provides high fuel efficiency (B-label), with enhanced robustness, late life grip and traction. Both steer and drive tyres are featuring the 3PMSF certification and are equipped with RFID enabling connected tyre management.
The new Fuelmax Endurance is fully compatible with Goodyear’s Retreading program. The drive tyre will be available as a premium TreadMax moldcure retread adding extra mileage while providing the same features and benefits as the new innovative tread; Goodyear claims these reduce tyre costs up to 30 per cent.