Soft, chewy fuel mileage - Goodyear introduces Assurance FuelMax tire
Low rolling resistance tires usually bring fuel economy at the expense of noise, comfort and performance. Something's got to give, and to make the doughnuts turn more easily, engineers have to crank up the amount of silica in the tread formulation, resulting in noisy, wimpy tires. Goodyear's new Assurance Fuel Max tire is a way to have your cake and eat it, too. The Assurance Fuel Max has a new tread compound designed right down to the molecules to deliver a 27% reduction in rolling resistance without the traditional compromises. The 65,000-mile tread wear warranty that the standard Assurance tire carries is also offered on the Fuel Max, and traction is at least as good, both wet and dry. Goodyear claims that the new tire's construction and proprietary compound can help drivers save 4% more fuel, equating to thousands of miles over the life of the tires. The Fuel Max tires are actually virtually the same as the original Assurance doughnuts, differing in tread compound only. Goodyear says the original Assurance's tread design is the reason for the Fuel Max performing well. Pricing is right around $100-$120 per tire in the common sizes, within range for a decent tire of any make these days. We're still waiting for a Z-Rated tire that lasts 150,000 miles and costs five bucks, but in the meantime, Goodyear's new development takes some of the sacrifice out of being more frugal. Press release posted after the jump.
[Source: Goodyear]
GOODYEAR INTRODUCES BREAKTHROUGH
ASSURANCE FUEL MAX TIRE
State-of-the Art Science Helps Deliver Fuel-Efficiency, All-Season Traction and
65,000-Mile Tread Life Limited Warranty in a Cost-Effective Tire Choice
AKRON, Ohio, April 9, 2009 – As families search for cost savings in every aspect of their lives, Goodyear is responding with a tire that offers a breakthrough in fuel-efficient technology: the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max.
"Goodyear has an unparalleled track record of developing leading edge tire technologies such as AquaChannel Technology, RunFlat Technology, Carbon Fiber Technology and TripleTred Technology, and is always working to develop new and innovative products and relevant technologies for consumers," said Gary Medalis, Goodyear general manager, passenger tires. "Goodyear achieved a breakthrough in proprietary technology that has enabled us to expand performance attributes."
With the new Assurance Fuel Max, Goodyear has introduced a tire tread compound that has been developed at the molecular level to yield improvements in rolling resistance while retaining or even enhancing tread life and traction over the original Goodyear Assurance tire. This technology allows Goodyear to retain a 65,000-mile tread wear limited warranty while providing 27 percent less rolling resistance, which equates to a 4 percent improvement in highway fuel economy. In essence, this greater fuel efficiency means drivers can save 2,600 miles worth of gas over the life of a set of 4 tires.**
Many fuel-efficient tires today depend on replacing carbon black material with silica in the tread compound, either in part or in total, to minimize rolling resistance.
At the heart of Goodyear's new tread is a blend of polymers, which increase their selective reactivity with the silica filler, to help improve silica dispersion and to enhance the overall physical properties of the tread. The marriage of the Assurance Fuel Max tire construction and this proprietary tread, results in tires that help provide excellent fuel-efficiency, as well as confident wet and dry traction, and long tread life.
The tire structure and tread design, including two unique tread zones, contribute to the Assurance Fuel Max's confident traction, braking and tread life performance. The Dry Zone, with strong shoulder blocks, helps enhance handling and grip for confident maneuvering on dry pavement.
The Wet Tread Zone in the center features Dual AquaChannel Grooves to help evacuate water from the tread face for great wet traction. Plus, Zig-Zagging Micro Grooves and Center Tread Notches help grip the road in rain or light snow.
The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is available in 27 sizes – to fit about 80 percent of the auto tire segment. This includes automobiles such as the Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevrolet Impala, minivans such as the Chrysler Town & Country, and even hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Malibu. On February 10, General Motors announced that the 2011 Chevy Volt will come equipped with Assurance Fuel Max tires.
Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. The company employs about 70,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 60 facilities in 26 countries around the world. For more information about Goodyear consumer tires, go to www.goodyeartires.com.
**(Note: This savings is based on a 4% fuel economy improvement, on 65,000-mile tread life limited warranty, as compared to the standard Goodyear Assurance tire tested on P195/65R15 size on a 2008 Honda Civic. Actual results may vary based on when tires are replaced, driving and road conditions, and proper tire maintenance.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mike Homeniuk 8:17AM (4/16/2009)
The Assurance Fuel Max has a new tread compound designed right down to the molecules to deliver 27% better fuel economy without the traditional compromises.
Goodyear claims that the new tire's construction and proprietary compound can help drivers save 4% more fuel.
Huh?
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HotRodzNKustoms 8:22AM (4/16/2009)
Don't worry I am as confused as you.
cBraunDesign 8:24AM (4/16/2009)
I thought the same thing. Explinations to that are welcome.
HotRodzNKustoms 8:24AM (4/16/2009)
"This technology allows Goodyear to retain a 65,000-mile tread wear limited warranty while providing 27 percent less rolling resistance, which equates to a 4 percent improvement in highway fuel economy." I hate it when I have to read the press releases
Pengwin 9:27AM (4/16/2009)
autoblog. fail.
Dan Roth 10:18AM (4/16/2009)
yes - I messed up with that - fixed now
stealthebeatles 8:27AM (4/16/2009)
I'm gonna get some 35's of these and put them on my Jeep.
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david 12:39AM (4/17/2009)
Right, because I'm sure these tires are great for off road use. I bet they air down really well, and the tread pattern is great.
Or, do you put 35's on to drive around the neighborhood?
On top of that, I'm pretty sure that rolling resistance doesn't mean quite as much when you're driving a brick shaped object.
Imag 10:07AM (4/16/2009)
David - umm. Try to find your sense of humor. I think you left it somewhere.
matt 8:30AM (4/16/2009)
so a frictionless surface would net a 12% increase in fuel economy?
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FSM 9:09AM (4/16/2009)
No, a frictionless surface means your tires spin and the car goes no where. Low rolling resistance refers to the behavior of the tire as it rolls and each part of it makes contact with the ground. I believe that when a tire elastically deforms as it makes contact with the ground you lose the optimal circular shape, thus causing some resistance to rolling. So I think a low rolling resistant tire is more elastically stiff. Anybody want to correct me?
Rich 12:14PM (4/16/2009)
Gladly, your noodliness. Just don't eat me.
If it was purely a matter of reducing elasticity, then the optimal shape would be circular; in other words, you'd have an infinitely thin rectangle in contact with the road -- which would again provide zero resistance for anything. I'm not sure of the precise figures, but you want that rectangle to be roughly four inches long, front-to-rear, at a minimum; otherwise you'd have no resistance.
The difference here is the vertical deformation doesn't affect the horizontal deformation so much as with a traditionally constructed radial tyre; and it's the horizontal deformation that contributes to rolling resistance. The construction of the walls would appear to be different in this tyre.
They're priced right, and they'll probably hit the market about when I'm ready to get a full set. That's great. I wonder if Costco will stock them?
FOREX 8:51AM (4/16/2009)
I'm not sure this is much of a buy.
Assuming that the savings is 4% (the 27% is the decrease in rolling resistance) the math works out this way...
(Disclaimer: I'm not a tire expert by any strech so my tire comparison may not be correct)
Goodyear Regatta (75,000 mile tire) Priceing seems to range from $70-100/tire, I'm assuming a price of $85/tire. If the tire is used for all 75,000 mi on my 33mpg civic I will burn $4545.45 in fuel over the life of the tire. (75000/33*$2/gal=$4545.45)
Goodyear assurance Max (65,000 mile tire) pricing ranges from $100-120/tire, I'm assuming a price of $110 per tire. Same assumptions, if the tire is used for all 65,000 mi but increases my average mpg by 4% to 34.32mpg (33*1.04) I will burn $3787.87 in fuel over the life of the tire (65000/34.32*$2/gal= $3787.87).
That comparison is a little off, as the Regatta has a 15% longer life span. So, I'll reduce the fuel cost by 15%. In 65,000 mi I'll burn $3863.63 in fuel ($4545.45*.85).
Thus the actual cost of these tires is:
Regatta - 3863.63+($85*4)=$4203.63
Assurance Max - 3787.87+($110*4)= $4227.87
Thus it is costs $24 more to purchase more efficient tires, over the life of the tire. The difference increases if you were to chose a tire with a longer life or if you find a special or sale on another tire (but not the new Assurance Max). Of course the new tires become effectivly less expensive if fuel prices climb again, and stay up, over the life of the tire.
However, it's good that companies are trying to make more efficient products and I applaude that.
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SenatorPerry 9:57AM (4/16/2009)
Rolling resistance is higher when you are traveling at highway speeds. There are many other calculations you would need to add. On that note, these tires at $105 at Sam's Club.
Regardless, YMMV is the most appropriate item for this post....
gslippy 10:12AM (4/16/2009)
The price premium is not worth it for me since I already average 30 mpg. I might break even if they were $100, but not $120. And my tire life is usually only 40-50% of the manufacturer's claim.
Fad 9:09AM (4/16/2009)
They claim the tires on the Volt yield 1 more mile to the 40 mile range which comes to only a 2.5% boost in mileage.
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Rich 12:18PM (4/16/2009)
Rolling resistance varies depending on the weight of the vehicle and its suspension setup. A heavier vehicle with some quite noticeable camber like my Jetta TDI might actually get better than 4% gains; so it's worth it for me.
TORONTO 9:19AM (4/16/2009)
I wonder if these tires are good for drifting???
:-)
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MikeW 11:24AM (4/16/2009)
The hyper-milers tire.
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Santosh Tiwari 11:22AM (4/16/2009)
Low rolling resistance has to do with the hysteresis loss during the rolling operation. The tire is under fatigue loading, and dissipates energy in every cycle.
For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_rolling_resistance_tires
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