Car & Drivermagazine reports on new high-performance tires that use 80% less petroleum oil than conventional tires. Tire manufacturer Yokohama offers two radically different tires made with natural rubber and orange oil high in limonene: their GT-Class racing tires, designed for the track, and the dB Super E-spec, designed for hybrids and other fuel efficient vehicles.
I’m an amateur car guy, and I wouldn’t have guessed these two tire models would have anything in common. Here’s why the natural orange oil improves performance for both. The viscosity of the tread compound made with orange oil varies with temperature more than tread made with fossil oil. So at highway speeds and below, viscosity is high, which results in low rolling resistance, yielding improved mileage. Great for everyday driving and maybe it saves a pit stop in a longer race. Under the heat of acceleration, braking and cornering, the tread viscosity drops, making the tires “stickier”, increasing grip. Great for racing and better for everyday driving, too.
The new Yokohama tires feature additional environmental benefits. The radial belts in the Super E-spec daily driver tires are made of rayon, derived from plant cellulose, rather than petroleum-based nylon. And natural rubber is a renewable resource. The cost premium is about $20 per tire for the E-specs – for $80 your mileage increases about 2%, yielding a three year payback, your handling improves, and you reduce fossil fuel use.
No comments:
Post a Comment