6 questions with Goodyear: A vision for tire market, new mobility

Goodyear has quite a year ahead.

One that will be defined by both transition and growth as it enacts its Goodyear Forward plan, continues to innovate around sustainability and tailors solutions to some of the auto industries' biggest challenges.

Recently, the Akron-based tire maker shared its vision for the future of mobility and detailed some of the solutions it sees playing a critical role in the months and years ahead with Rubber News.

Here's what the company had to say.

What is happening with the OE and replacement tire segments in North America?
It's certainly an interesting time in our industry! On the OE side, we're seeing new vehicle sales continue to increase as production continues to ramp up and there's more new vehicle availability. OE inventories remain below pre-pandemic levels as the OEM's continue to navigate the post-COVID environment.

If new vehicles sales—while strong—remain below pre-pandemic levels, we do expect the aging car parc to continue to tilt in favor of the replacement market.

On that replacement side, we've experienced some volatility from the past few years into today. From our perspective, vehicle miles traveled continues to be the bellwether for the replacement tire industry.

What can we expect from OE going forward, especially as new electric models hit the markets?

Goodyear remains committed to our market-backed strategy, including supporting OEs as their business model shifts. We align with our OE partners to have the right innovative products support their vehicle production, including the growth of EVs and the >20" rim sizes.

What are the greatest challenges with electrification? How is Goodyear prepared to meet those challenges?

The added weight and torque associated with EVs can impact several factors when it comes to tire performance, most importantly, load capacity, treadwear and vehicle range. In addition, noise from the road is often more noticeable when considering the quiet ride usually found with EVs.

Goodyear is developing many products for commercial, consumer and off-highway segments that are equipped for the demanding needs of electric vehicles and balance the performance requirements desired from a growing audience of adopters.

In 2022, Goodyear launched Goodyear ElectricDrive all-season tire and two new sizes for its ultra-high performance tire, the Goodyear ElectricDrive GT. Goodyear's ElectricDrive tires are engineered with a load index to account for the heavier load capacity of EVs and feature SoundComfort Technology designed to help reduce the level of interior vehicle noise. The EV tires also feature a specialized tread compound for all-season traction and long-lasting tread life, while an asymmetric tread pattern provides confident handling for wet or dry road conditions. With the addition of four new sizes to its EV tire lineup, Goodyear ElectricDrive is now a fit for 44 percent more battery electric automobiles operating in the U.S. today.

In response to increased electric commercial vehicle adoption, Goodyear recently announced new "Electric Drive Ready" tires including Endurance RSA ULT for last-mile delivery segments and RangeMax RSDEV for regional fleets. And when it comes to the North America construction, loading, logistics support and landscaping markets, earlier this year, Goodyear announced another "Electric Drive Ready" solution—its new Powerload lineup, specifically designed to deliver traction and durability for today's compact wheel loaders and graders, regardless of the job or underfoot conditions.

As we move closer to AVs, connectivity becomes crucial. What role do tires play in the connected vehicle space?

Tires are the only element of the vehicle that touches the ground. This contact point has the potential to provide important data to the vehicle. Connected / Intelligent tires can read the road and report back to the vehicle with the goal of driving enhanced levels of safety and performance. These innovations are shaping the evolution in mobility. In fact, Goodyear has set a goal that, by 2027, we will reinvent tires and service, delivering data- and sensor-enabled intelligence in all of our new products.

What are some ways Goodyear is preparing for this connective vehicle space?

Goodyear SightLine, the company's global tire intelligence platform, is in development to identify and address potential tire-related issues and relay information that only tires can feel. It is designed to measure the tire wear state, load, inflation pressure and temperature and report on what is happening outside of the tire as well, including road conditions—information that becomes only more important as we remove the driver from the vehicle.

For several years, Goodyear has provided tire management solutions for commercial trucking fleet managers. Using on-vehicle sensors and active monitoring systems, fleet managers and drivers can evaluate tire conditions in real-time using Goodyear's unique, fleet-specific algorithms. These solutions help fleets identify critical issues, such as tire air leaks and high temperatures, while also providing predictive tire maintenance analytics to help reduce tire related roadside breakdowns.

Goodyear continues to build capabilities and partner with other like-minded companies to drive efficiency among commercial fleets. That includes our ongoing collaborations with ZF, a global technology firm, and Gatik, an autonomous middle mile delivery organization. Together we are working to enhance the performance and operation of their vehicles.

Larger rim diameter tires continue to grow in popularity. How is Goodyear responding?
Goodyear's global manufacturing footprint has the capacity and capabilities to meet the needs of OEs as the larger rim diameter tires continue to grow in popularity. We are confident that Goodyear has the technology and innovation required to meet the market needs, including EVs and larger rim diameter tires. We are proud that you will begin seeing our products in the marketplace as we collaborate with OEs for fitments of their new vehicles in the larger rim diameter sizes.