The “Making a Greener Tire” interactive display, which will be in the museum’s Transportation, Renewable Energy and Nanotechnology area, revolves around the tire’s composition, which combines oil extracted from orange peels with silica and natural rubber to form “Super Nano-Power Rubber” (SNPR).
The technology was initially utilized in the company's dB Super E-spec tire.
SNPR allows for less petroleum to be used in the manufacturing process and conserves fuel as it reduces rolling resistance by up to 20 percent – minimizing the energy wasted as heat as the tire rolls down the road, according to President and CEO Yasushi Tanaka, who says the firm is the first and only tire manufacturer to employ orange oil technology.
“The exhibit is extremely gratifying for Yokohama because it validates our commitment to technology that will protect Earth,” Tanaka says, pointing out that the museum is a leading educational and cultural institution that is ranked among the top science centers in the world.
“Yokohama is a technology-driven company with a global mandate to protect the environment,” he notes. “In fact, our new overall global environmental initiative is called ‘BluEarth,’ which includes the BluEarth-1 tire.”
He goes on to explain that “BluEarth is our product engineering philosophy aimed at producing tires that are environmentally-, socially-, and human-friendly. That’s why we are honored the museum feels our eco-friendly orange oil technology is significant enough to be presented in an exhibit.”
According to Paul Fontaine, the museum’s vice president of education, the tire’s presence reflects the institution’s commitment to highlighting environmental issues and enhancing technological literacy.
“We are constantly working to expand the public’s understanding of new technologies through exhibits, programs, events and publications,” Fontaine reports. “This display is especially timely because it showcases an innovative, green approach to manufacturing. We welcome the opportunity to bring this cutting edge technology to our visitors.”
Also featured in the museum’s exhibit will be the BluEarth- 1’s AIRTEX Advanced Liner that is designed to reduce the amount of air seeping out from the tire. “Maintaining appropriate inflation levels is crucial because under- inflated tires consume more power, thus using more fuel,” Tanaka says.
Available now in Japan and Europe, the tire will launch in the U.S. next year with three sizes for hybrids and other vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, MINI Cooper and Volkswagen’s Golf and Jetta models.
For more information, visit www.yokohamatire.com.
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