Have you ever heard of eco tyres and do you know how they are different from normal regular tyres? How did they achieve the opposite balance of less friction to increase your MPG without seeing your car sliding off the road while taking corners? The terms eco and green tyre refer to new types Shrewsbury of environmentally friendly rubber, mixed with innovative construction.
Some of the premium brands do offer eco tyres such as Continental and Goodyear tyres has their EcoContact 6. Although eco tyres have been available in the UK for decades now, the technology has continued to evolve and the world going towards switching to Net Zero emission. These tyres can play a key role within the automotive industry in the years to come.
The UK was still part of the European Union, but new legislation was introduced to make it mandatory to mention an eco-rating on every new tyre sold in the market. These ratings are categorised into three categories which are fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise. Green tyre technology comes under fuel efficiency.
Even though the UK is no longer a part of the EU, the legislation still running and with further laws set to be introduced in the future, you might see a lot more eco and green tyres moving on the roads in future.
What is An Eco Tyre?
The eco tyre is a type of tyre that is designed to be more environmentally friendly compared to traditional tyres. These tyres are produced from sustainable materials and have a lower carbon footprint.
They are normally made from natural rubber, organic cotton and other eco-friendly materials. These natural materials reduce the amount of energy needed to manufacture the tyre and also reduce the amount of waste produced.
These tyres are made up of more than 200 ingredients and more than 20 different types of rubber each with their desirable properties. They also contain silica which helps to get a better grip on the road.
Eco tyres also tend to be more durable, providing better braking, better braking and consume less fuel. They are lighter in weight which can help to reduce fuel consumption. As a result, people are likely to use these tyres and as more people are using them, it eventually reduces their carbon footprint.
Eco Tyre Ratings
As the UK and the EU work to reduce their collective efforts to reduce carbon footprint, eco ratings on tyres are becoming more important for customers. These will provide a way for consumers to make an informed decision about which tyres are more environmentally friendly. This can help reduce emissions from vehicles.
The EU eco-rating system works in alphabetical order on a scale of A to G, with A being the most eco-friendly and G being the least eco-friendly.
A or B ratings are considered the most eco-friendly tyres. These tyres are made to be more efficient and consume less fuel by up to 7 to 10%.
There is one more addition to legislation, the EU has also introduced labelling requirements for tyres sold in the market. This labelling system provides consumers with information about the tyre rolling resistance, fuel efficiency, wet grip performance and noise.
What is Rolling Resistance?
Rolling resistance is an important part of eco tyres and can help to reduce rising emissions and climate change. As a part of the labelling system, the EU made an eco-rating system for tyres based on their rolling resistance.
Tyres that have a higher rolling resistance need more energy to move, thus resulting in higher fuel consumption and increasing carbon footprint. This is the reason why the labelling system is important for the future of the industry.
The rolling resistance of a tyre can contribute to as much as 30% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption and a quarter of its CO2 emissions. As you reduce this you will also reduce your vehicle’s carbon footprint by up to 300kg a year.
There is much evidence that green tyres actually work. Research from the University of Munich states that a family travelling 20,000 miles per year in an average hatchback or saloon can cut their fuel bill by hundreds of pounds.
In this study, they also found that using all the cars on the road with eco-friendly tyres would save 20 billion litres of fuel a year and cut worldwide CO2 emissions by 50 million tonnes.
There are some common misconceptions about eco tyres, one of them is that they offer less grip and low rolling resistance eco tyres also mean less traction. But the eco tyres can perform better in some tests than more regular all-around tyres.
What Are The Challenges with Eco Tyres?
Although eco tyres have become more popular because of their environmental benefits in recent years, there are some drawbacks as well to consider. Some of the more premium renowned tyre brands have eco tyres that are usually more expensive than their regular tyres.
Some of the budget eco tyres Astley may also not perform as well as regular tyres. Eco tyres are designed to be more environmentally friendly but this means they are not able to offer better grip, durable or able to handle high speeds compared to regular tyres.