Tires
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The tire maker Sumitomo has announced a tire concept that generates energy as it rolls down the road.
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Tesla pricing, Mercedes-Benz EQE, airless tires, fast charging: Today's Car News
Tesla has revamped its online pricing model, General Motors and Michelin are testing airless tires, and our Twitter followers weigh in on what's most important to them when fast charging.
Eric C. Evarts -
No puncture, no pressure: GM could offer airless Michelin tire in 2024 EV
Michelin has introduced a prototype airless tire that will soon be tested on a Chevrolet Bolt EV fleet in Michigan.
Bengt Halvorson -
Changing tires on Chevy Bolt EV electric car: your range, grip, and noise may vary
One of the many tactics used by carmakers to boost efficiency in their vehicles is fitting low-rolling-resistance tires. Specially designed to reduce the energy wasted as heat from the friction between the tire and the road, these tires can boost efficiency by a few percentage points in an electric...
John Voelcker -
Toyota electric cars could use airless tires if research pans out: report
Although electric cars offer numerous benefits in engineering, design, and zero-emission operation, their overall weight remains a hurdle for automakers, especially as bigger batteries with longer ranges become more important. It now appears that Toyota may look to airless tires as a way to cut...
Sean Szymkowski -
How California's Recycled Tires Turn Into Smog Over State
Large numbers of tires end up as fuel in Asian factories, creating more pollution.
Stephen Edelstein -
AAA bemoans the replacement of spare tires as a weight-saving measure.
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Cooper Tire: We Will Make Complete Tire From Desert Shrub In 2017
Cooper Tire says it can already make rubber components from a desert shrub called guayule.
Stephen Edelstein -
Goodyear Shows Concept Tire That Generates Electricity From Motion
Goodyear unveiled two concept tires at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
Stephen Edelstein -
Updated Gas-Mileage Aid: Valve Caps That Change Color With Tire Pressure
A startup with an improved design hopes to broaden the appeal of these gas-mileage aids.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3's Tall Skinny Tires To Boost Efficiency (And Cut Noise)
Most people give them little thought, but tires are one of the most important components on a car. They are, of course, your only point of contact with the road. So ultimately, tires are responsible for everything from performance, through cornering, to efficiency and noise. Tires of the future...
Antony Ingram -
Green Tech: Tires Made From Dandelions Replace Rubber
It isn't just fossil fuels that are a finite resource--rubber is another substance in high demand, and short supply. The latest estimates suggest that global demand for rubber is expected to outstrip supply by 20 percent, by 2020. That will inevitably lead to raised prices--bad news, considering...
Antony Ingram -
As your only point of contact with the road, it's no surprise that tires are important. Not just for performance, handling and safety, but gas mileage too--and General Motors has invested $5 million into the National Tire Research Center in Virginia, to help develop the next generation of fuel-efficient tires. The goal is to design tires with low rolling resistance. As that implies, the less resistance a tire has as it rolls along the road, the less power (and therefore fuel) is needed to overcome it. GM says that tires can make up as much as 7 percent difference in gas mileage simply through...
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'Green Tires' Popularity Increasing, Grip Improving Too
If you drive a hybrid or plug-in vehicle, chances are you're already familiar with 'green tires'. Also known as low rolling resistance tires, they're becoming an increasingly popular way of improving the fuel efficiency of cars, both in dedicated green vehicles and even regular cars. That...
Antony Ingram -
Want More Range, Better Handling in Your Electric Car? Look At Your Tires
What turns an electric car into a great electric car? Ask most people, and they will list features like a powerful electric motor, good range and comfortable seats. But these things are set at the factory, long before you even step inside your car. What about things you can do improve how your car...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
U.S. Postal Service Reminds You To Check Your Tires With New Stamp
We might be immersed in a digital revolution, but when it comes to sending important messages there are times when only an old-fashioned letter will do. Now a new stamp from the U.S. Postal Service has been released that aims to send an extra message with your mail: to check your tire pressures...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Nissan Easy Fill Tire Alert System: Helpful, Or Annoying?
Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in the amount of driver-friendly technology being added to cars to make them easier to use. Normally, that includes things like iPod connectivity, satellite navigation and bluetooth hands free, but the 2013 Nissan Altima -- along with all of...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Tips For Checking Your Tires: Improve Gas Mileage, Safety
Round, black, and easily forgettable--that's your average car tire. Often, we don't think about them until we need to change them, whether the tread is wearing low or we get a puncture. However, it's well worth considering them more often, as not only are they vital to your safety, but tires also...
Antony Ingram -
Old cars get crushed and torn into steel scraps for reuse, car batteries are the most recycled consumer good, but old tires are still a recycling challenge. Now, tire company Bridgestone Americas has launched a new program "designed to eventually assure" [sic] that for every tire the company sells in the U.S., one old tire will be removed from use and used in a valuable way. It called that goal "lofty." Bridgestone's announcement doesn't define exactly what constitutes a "valuable purpose"--it mostly talks about its outreach to retailing and environmental groups--but those would presumably...
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Yokohama Shares Fuel Saving Gas-Mileage Tips For Your Car’s Tires
We all know the way in which we drive can change our car’s fuel economy, but one of the biggest keys to getting great gas mileage is often overlooked: your car’s tires. According to Mark Chung, director of corporate strategy at Yokohama Tire Corporation, most consumers don’t know...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Tall, Skinny Tires: Newest Green-Car Efficiency Trend
There are many unusual things about the BMW i3 Concept electric minicar revealed last month, including its glass doors and roof, not to mention BMW's first production battery-electric powertrain. But the BMW i3 is also at the leading edge of another efficiency trend: tall, narrow tires that reduce...
John Voelcker -
How Does Your New Car Get Better MPG Than Your Old One?
Almost every day we hear of a shiny new car that gets a certain number of miles to the gallon, a number often greater than its predecessor. It sometimes seems like witchcraft - until significant steps towards high-tech materials are taken, rarely do cars lose weight from one model to the next (with...
Antony Ingram -
Today's Eco-Friendly Tires Offer Better MPG And Better Grip
Thanks to advances in material science and tire design, modern fuel-efficient tires can deliver both better economy and better performance.
Kurt Ernst -
How To Drive Badly & Lower Your Gas Mileage In The Real World
With gas-mileage standards through 2016 now in place, the EPA and NHTSA are turning their sights toward rules for 2017 through 2025. Proposals are floating around for CAFE standards of up to 62 mpg (which means the vehicles you might buy would average about 50 mpg in actual use). Ah, the hell with...
John Voelcker