Part green, part improvement

Bold moves color aftermarket products

By: Bob Ulrich

“Consumers should use low rolling resistance as a tiebreaker when deciding on what to buy,” says The Tire Rack’s Matt Edmonds (pictured with two of the green tires that were displayed at the SEMA Show).

How fast is the green movement making an impact on the automotive aftermarket? If the large number of environmentally friendly products at this year’s SEMA Show is any indication, very quickly indeed.

Only time will tell how well those products are embraced by retail tire dealers and their customers, however.

In the tire industry, low rolling resistance is the green trend of choice.

Three manufacturers highlighted tires that save fuel because they roll more freely than previous generation tires.

Yokohama Tire Corp. displayed its new dB Super E-spec passenger tire and experimental Eco Race Tire at its booth. A compound made predominantly of natural rubber and citrus oil replaces petroleum-based materials in both tires.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. introduced its GFE (for greater fuel economy) touring tire, which the company says features low rolling resistance without a corresponding loss in traction or tread life. Hankook Tire America Corp. showcased a painted green tire to symbolize its efforts in going green (that tire, the enfren, is sold only in Asia at the moment).

According to Matt Edmonds, vice president of The Tire Rack, low rolling resistance is just one performance element of a tire.

Edmonds, who gave tours of the green products at the Tire Industry Association-sponsored Tires, Wheels & Equipment section of the show, says dealers shouldn’t put too much emphasis on today’s green tires.

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Related Topics: 3M, ArvinMeritor, CAFE standards, Cooper, Green Tires, KYB, SEMA, The Tire Rack, Trax, Yokohama

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