Goodyear assures innovation, safety, performance with WeatherReady 2

AKRON—Show, don't tell.

As in, demonstrate the innovative design, safety and performance to the OEM, retailer and consumer—don't simply tell them about the new Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2.

Amongst a jury of its peers, Goodyear did just that Aug. 13 with its "ride and drive," an event that accompanied the release of its new all-weather, second-generation WeatherReady tire.

"We're going to demonstrate acceleration, traction, low-speed response ... essentially what we call the transient responses of the tire," Nick Gullatta, chief test driver for Goodyear, told Rubber News prior to a "fast lap" around Goodyear's test track.

Gullatta drove a throng of visitors for a week straight, from retail and OE customers to media, around the track in a Honda Pilot equipped with the new tires.

Attendees also drove the vehicles themselves, just about as aggressively as they wished.

"It's about how precise the vehicle is between the gates, so everything is set up the same way," Gullatta said. "And it is real easy to tell the difference between two products or even two development tires for us."

During the exhibition, Goodyear pitted its new WeatherReady 2 against the Michelin CrossClimate2. In previous testing, Goodyear also pitted the tire against the Bridgestone WeatherPeak and the Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive.

"We are going to do some deep-water hydro-planing ... there is a lot of water down there," Gullatta said. "We'll test high-speed response, lateral grip and finish with a limit stop, where we will break from 60 to zero."

Goodyear's all-encompassing afternoon also featured a look inside the test center and acoustic chamber, both of which are critical to designing the tire of tomorrow.

Goodyear maintains a three-floor simulator at the test center, a machine that incorporates the body of a light truck, mounted on an intricate scaffolding of robotic hydraulics, and a 150-degree screen around it to simulate a given road or track.

The simulator intakes the parameters of a specific tire model, then uses that data to assist in tire design, including physical characterization.

The world's third-largest tire maker has a similar simulation facility in Luxembourg.

Iterations in tire design, according to Goodyear, typically decrease with the use of simulation and modeling.

However, simulations have not completely replaced prototyping.

"Goodyear is the first tire supplier to have a full dynamic simulator," a Goodyear representative told Rubber News. "This gets us a lot closer to the final product."

Like the simulator, the stunningly silent acoustic testing room is assisting Goodyear in modeling the tire of the future.

Fiberglass panels encase the walls and microphones sit close to the floor, all dampening and perfectly measuring noise produced by a tire tread, an analytic that has become increasingly critical to the development of EV tires.

"We will make recommendations based on previous experiences, if there is a performance gap," said Kevin Burnworth, a principal engineer with Goodyear who works in the anechoic lab.

Goodyear also showcased its Sightline driving solutions program, smart tire soft- and hardware system that uses sensors to correct tire pressure; offer a hydroplane warning system; and indicate for preventative maintenance.

The tire maker also highlighted its ElectricDrive 2 tire for EVs (released Jan. 9); and its Wrangler DuraTrac RT for on- and off-road driving (released Sept. 25, 2023).

But the real star was the WeatherReady 2, as Goodyear attempted to add "education, excitement and experience" to this behind-the-scenes afternoon.

The WeatherReady 2 offers a dramatically different tread pattern than the first-generation Assurance WeatherReady, which will be phased out, in part, this year (36 SKUs will be phased out, while 13 SKUs will remain in the initial portfolio).

"Goodyear has been designing directional treads since the iconic AquaTred in the 90's. In fact, we refer to the directional, sweeping grooves in the Assurance WeatherReady 2 as our 'AquaTred Technology' because the directional grooves expel water and help provide traction in wet conditions," said Anne Johnson, director of category strategy and planning at Goodyear.

The long, sweeping grooves of the WeatherReady 2 tread have other features that offer excellent performance—as demonstrated on Goodyear's test track, adjacent to the global headquarters.

The tire is quieter, Johnson said, because of the unique tread layout.

And the WeatherReady 2 is a directional tire, which means it is most effective at dispersing water and gripping snow when it's installed in the proper direction—a consideration when rotating tires.

The sidewall has an arrow imprinted that aids installation.

In addition, Goodyear's built-in "Wear Gauge" allows for continuous tire tread-depth monitoring.

"Overall, we put a lot of technology in the new Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2, a tire that gives drivers confidence in all weather conditions," Johnson said.

According to Goodyear, the WeatherReady 2 outperformed its peers in wet handling, wet braking and dry handling.

"No one is saying any of the other tires are bad tires ... they are great tires," Gullatta said. "But this sets a new standard for all-season tires."

The WeatherReady 2 earned the coveted Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake, as the tire meets a snow traction standard set by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

"The Assurance WeatherReady 2 redefines what drivers can expect from an all-weather tire ... reflecting Goodyear's steadfast dedication to innovation and superior quality," Johnson said. "It's an ideal tire for drivers looking for a solution that will allow them to face any weather condition with utmost confidence and control."

The WeatherReady 2 is available in 58 sizes, from 16- to 22-inch rim diameters, and is compatible with a wide range of vehicles, including the Kia Telluride, GMC Acadia, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Traverse, Ford Explorer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mercedes GLE, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

"Drivers really want to feel and experience what their car can offer, so that they feel they can push the limits if they need to," said Michelle Baggetta, a spokeperson with Goodyear. "Not many drivers actually drive that way, but we want to make sure the tire can handle it if they do.

"We want to make sure the capability of the vehicle is not limited by the capability of the tire."

With more than 8 million projected annual replacement EV tire sales by 2028, Goodyear is not missing its opportunity to gain market share in this still relatively nascent space.

As such, the company earlier this year released the ElectricDrive 2, which boasts improvements for EVs in wet grip, stopping distance and range, as the tire can travel farther with lower rolling resistance, according to Josh Pu'u, performance test driver with Goodyear.

Perhaps most unique is the foam that Goodyear places in the ElectricDrive 2—typically as a post-manufacturing addition—that allows for the quieter ride.

"This is not going to be quite as exciting as the wet grip track, but we hope you will see the difference in a quieter ride from our ElectricDrive 2," Pu'u said.

Located on the other side of the track from the vehicle dynamic testing area, two straightaways with rumble strips and broken pavement (akin to an on-ramp) were used for this "noise-and-ride" exhibition.

Goodyear equipped two Tesla Model 3s with ElectricDrive 2s that contained Goodyear's proprietary foam, and two vehicles without the foam in any of the four tires.

And the "noise-and-ride" difference, as Pu'u called it, was immediately evident.

With the foam, the overall din of the pavement as experienced without the foam was indeed much quieter, much softer.

Such are the virtues of Goodyear's SoundComfort Technology, the foam that helps reduce interior vehicle noise. And an asymmetrical tread pattern on the ElectricDrive 2s provides "confident handling for wet or dry road conditions," according to Goodyear.

"With the continued adoption of EVs, we want to meet consumer and market needs with an updated EV replacement tire," said David Reese, vice president of product development for Goodyear Americas. "We know EV drivers prioritize performance and a more-sustainable tire."

The ElectricDrive 2 is considered all-season and features 50-percent sustainable ingredients, according to Goodyear.

The ElectricDrive 2 became available in May 2024 in the U.S. and comes in 17 sizes designed to fit EV sedans and CUVs, including the Tesla Models Y, 3 and S; Ford Mustang Mach-E; Chevy Bolt; Audi Q4 e-tron and more.

Most people who own a Jeep Rubicon like the ones driven during the last half of Goodyear's ride-and-drive do not drive them on the types of terrain offered at the Southington Off-Road Park in Garrettsville, Ohio.

However, Jeep and other off-road vehicle owners want to know that their tires are capable of off-roading, even if they rarely do it.

Most people who own a Jeep Rubicon like the ones driven during the last half of Goodyear's ride-and-drive do not drive them on the types of terrain offered at the Southington Off-Road Park in Garrettsville, Ohio.

However, Jeep and other off-road vehicle owners want to know that their tires are capable of off-roading, even if they rarely do it.

This was the impetus for development of the Wrangler DuraTrac RT, designed for the best of both worlds. The DuraTrac RT came online for consumers about a year ago.

"From summer off-roading to snowy on-road drives, the new Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT provides drivers with the power and versatility to take them where they want to go," said Michiel Kramer, director of product marketing for Goodyear. "Engineered with a proven tread pattern featuring more biting edges for enhanced grip, this versatile tire can help drivers take on any road or trail in any weather condition—rain, snow or shine."

Attendees drove the DuraTrec RTs over sand and trail courses at Southington, both of which featured demanding, rugged terrain with steep climbs and sand ruts that swallow lesser tires for lunch.

And the Rubicons, on top of the DuraTrac RTs, seemed to climb and traverse the terrain with ease, rolling over rocks and water holes like some kind of mechanical spider.

The DuraTrac RTs are being offered in three sizes now—in 18-, 20- and 22-inch diameters—with seven more sizes anticipated in the fourth quarter of this year, Goodyear said.

Key competitors in this off-road category include the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail; the Ridge Grappler from Nitto; and the All-Terrain T/A K03 from BFGoodrich.

The DuraTrac RTs are reinforced with Kevlar for endurance and durability, according to Goodyear.

"Outfitted for light trucks and SUVs, the Wrangler DuraTrac RT is built ... with a three-ply sidewall with Durawall compound to help resist punctures, abrasions and cuts in rough, off-road conditions," a Goodyear spokesperson said prior to the off-road excursion. "The Wrangler tire includes a winter weather-worthy, proven tread pattern that has more biting edges for enhanced grip on snowy surfaces."

The DuraTrac RT also boasts the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake designation and is backed with a 50,000-mile treadwear limited warranty.

The afternoon concluded at the Southington Off-Road Park, demonstrating that while "show and tell" is important for best practices, "show, don't tell" is what can seal the deal for a major player like Goodyear.