The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has introduced the “most fuel-efficient long haul drive tire in North America,” says Brian Buckham, general manager, product marketing, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems. The Fuel Max LHD G505D outperforms leading competitors in fuel efficiency due to the tire’s technological advances.
Available now, the new tire saves, on average, $1,444 worth of fuel per truck, per year, compared to the Michelin X Line Energy D; $896 of fuel per truck, per year, compared to the Continental EcoPlus HD3; and $672 of fuel per truck, per year, compared to the Bridgestone M710 Ecopia.
These findings, explains Andrea Russell, Goodyear’s brand manager, commercial marketing, are based on the projected fuel cost savings of a single Class 8 tractor trailer combination truck getting 6.5 miles per gallon, traveling 120,000 miles in a year and diesel fuel price at $4 per gallon.
The estimated fuel consumption differences are a result of changing all of the tractor’s eight drive axle drive tires, she says. Class 8 tractor trailer combination truck fuel consumption was estimated using the U.S. EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Model and ISO 28580 rolling resistance coefficient data.
Actual results may vary depending on tire size, driving and road conditions, maintenance and operating conditions, notes Buckham.
Fuel Economy
With fuel being the number-one cost for trucking fleets, the Fuel Max LHD G505D, which replaces Goodyear’s long haul drive tire, “is a must-have for fleets that are serious about reducing their cost-per-mile,” Buckham says.
The SmartWay-verified G505D improves truck fuel economy by, on average, 2 percent compared to the Michelin X Line Energy D; 1.3 percent compared to the Continental EcoPlus HD3; and .9 percent compared to the Bridgestone M710 Ecopia, he points out.
Tire Construction
Goodyear’s exclusive Fuel Max Technology incorporates innovative fuel-efficient compounds, tire constructions and tread designs to lower tire rolling resistance, which helps promote energy efficiency and enhance fuel economy. Other features include:
- Goodyear’s Tredlock Technology which contains interlocking microgrooves and a wide tread to help stabilize the tread for long life and enhanced toughness.
- A highly siped center rib and lateral grooves to help enhance all-season traction.
- A steel-belt casing package for toughness, endurance and robust retreadability.
- Penetration protectors to help resist stone drilling, which also enhances casing retreadability.
“Our goal is to help fleets lower their cost-per-mile,” says Buckham. “Helping them optimize their trucks’ fuel efficiency is a big part of this process. With the introduction of the Goodyear Fuel Max LHD G505D, Goodyear is staking its claim as North America’s long haul drive tire fuel economy leader.”
