AKRON (April 23, 2008) — Goodyear has joined a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program aimed at cutting diesel fuel use and carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions.
The tire maker now is a member of the EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership. The federal agency certified Goodyear's line of Fuel Max line-haul tires last July for use on SmartWay tractors and trailers, but the company wasn't part partnership, a Goodyear spokesman said.
“This gives us a more active role within the partnership to work with the various entities like the freight carriersàto find ways to improve their fuel efficiency,” the official said.
The Fuel Max tires, which Goodyear claims deliver about a 4-percent increase in fuel economy, include the Unisteel G395 LHS steer tire, Unisteel G305 LHD drive tire and Unisteel G316 LHT trail tire. Each model is available in sizes 11R22.5, 295/75R22.5 or 285/75R24.5.
SmartWay, a collaboration between the EPA and companies involved in the trucking industry, wants to save from 3.3 billion to 6.6 billion gallons of diesel fuel, decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 33 million to 66 million tons and reduce nitrous oxide emissions by up to 200,000 tons per year by 2012.