In the biggest endorsement to date of Goodyear’s GT3 BioTred – which contains a corn-derived compound – BMW and Ford have indicated that they will equip their cars with the environmentally friendly tyres.
In the biggest endorsement to date of Goodyear’s GT3 BioTred – which contains a corn-derived compound – BMW and Ford have indicated that they will equip their cars with the environmentally friendly tyres.
Goodyear expects good sales of the GT3 BioTred. “Compared with conventional tyres made with carbon black, the new tyre is less polluting to produce, quieter on the road, boosts fuel economy by five per cent and stops faster on wet roads,” Goodyear said.
This month BMW agreed to put BioTreds on their 3-Series model. Earlier, Ford approved the tyres for an economy Fiesta, Automotive News reported on Monday.
Goodyear’s new tyre uses a polymer derived from ordinary cornstarch, or cornflour – used by cooks to thicken sauces and in hundreds of commercial food products. The polymer is mixed with synthetic rubber, largely replacing the soot-like carbon black used in the century-old tyre-making process.
“Goodyear has been selling BioTreds as replacement tyres for two years in European markets, but the BMW and Ford contracts are the first original-equipment orders,” said Mike Wynn, a Goodyear account executive.
“The fact that Ford and now BMW have approved the use of BioTred on production cars is a major step,” Wynn said.
The environmental image of a corn-derived tyre ingredient has helped The new tyres are available on the US after market, said Steve Tidmarsh, the company’s consumer sales and marketing manager.
The BioTred has captured 30 per cent of all Goodyear replacement tyre sales, even though it is not available for all vehicles.