Goodyear has been selected as the exclusive developer of tire technology destined for the military’s Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) program under a contract awarded to Ricardo, Inc.
The project was launched in late-2008 by the U.S. Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in Warren, Mich. with “the overarching goals of enhancing military vehicle technology, reducing fuel consumption on the battlefield and reducing the nation’s dependence on oil.”
“Goodyear is honored to be chosen by Ricardo for the FED program, and we are anxious to explore the possibilities of incorporating our proven Fuel Max Technology, originally developed for commercial truck tires, into military-application tires,” says Maylon Carroll, Goodyear’s general manager of military sales.
“Ricardo’s prior experience in implementing advanced technology into the Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS), together with Goodyear’s vast experience in fuel-efficient commercial tire technology, will help develop the possibilities of technologically advanced, fuel-efficient vehicles for the U.S. military,” she explains.
Developed and proven over millions of test miles, according to Carroll, the Fuel Max truck tire technology “incorporates reduced rolling-resistance technology into the tire, which helps improve the number of miles per gallon, and can help result in substantial savings in fuel costs for the military.”
Under the FED program, Ricardo is to utilize advanced automotive technology to create a demonstration model that maximizes fuel economy while maintaining the capability and performance of light tactical wheeled vehicles. The project will ultimately produce a demo unit for testing at the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground.
“Ricardo is proud and excited to be working with Goodyear as part of the TARDEC Fuel Efficiency Demonstrator program,” says Robert Ellis, the company’s chief engineer for military vehicle programs.
“Goodyear is an industry leader in the manufacture of military tires, and its decision to support this U.S. Army initiative to reduce fuel usage by transferring commercial tire technology into military applications will lead to tactical tires offering significantly reduced rolling resistance,” Ellis reports. “If adopted by the fleet, this will help provide fuel economy improvements that could save taxpayers many millions of dollars.”
For more information, visit www.goodyear.com and www.ricardo.com.
