Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has announced plans for new collaborations and a new product at the 2024 Consumer Electronic Show (CES).
New products include the Goodyear ElectricDrive 2 tire.
The ElectricDrive 2 is an all-season electric vehicle (EV) tire with improved rolling resistance and SoundComfort Technology to reduce interior vehicle noise.
This tire will be available in the beginning of May 2024 in the United States and will come in 17 sizes designed to fit consumer EV sedans and CUVs – including the Tesla Models Y, 3 and S; the Ford Mustang Mach-E and more.
“With the continued adoption of EVs, we want to meet consumer and market needs with an updated EV replacement tire,” says David Reese, vice president, of product development, Goodyear Americas.
Features of the tire include an aerodynamic sidewall that lowers aerodynamic drag; asymmetrical tread patterns for improved grip and responsiveness on wet and dry roads; SoundComfort Technology foam inserts to reduce vehicle noise; and more.
Collaboration with ZF
Goodyear also announced a collaboration with ZF, a global leader in vehicle systems and industrial technology, which has resulted in the integration of tire intelligence technologies with vehicle motion control software.
The collaboration delivers Goodyear SightLine, a suite of tire intelligence technologies, into the ZF cubiX ecosystem, a scalable vehicle motion control software that coordinates all dimensions of vehicle dynamics.
This provides further tire and road data into the chassis system and enables an improved driving experience with better comfort, control and efficiency, according to Goodyear officials.
“Goodyear SightLine will deepen our connection to the road and expand the scope and value of cubiX by supporting the era of software-defined vehicles,” says Martin Fischer, member of the board of management responsible for the ZF Chassis Solution division.
“By joining our ecosystems, our customers will unlock a range of possibilities to customize and optimize their solutions in both vehicle motion and tire intelligence.”
Further advancements with Gatik
Goodyear and Gatik, an autonomous middle mile B2B logistics fleet, announced a successful integration of tire intelligence technology into an autonomous driving system.
Gatik's autonomous fleet, consisting of Class 3 through Class 7 box trucks, is equipped with Goodyear’s Endurance RSA tires with SightLine technology. This enables Gatik to “advance the safety and overall accuracy of its efficient fleet operations while improving delivery uptime,” according to Goodyear officials.
In 2024, Gatik officials say they plan to implement the intelligent tire solutions into a “significant portion” of its autonomous fleets across the United States and Canada.
"The groundbreaking integration of Goodyear SightLine technology into Gatik's autonomous fleet is a first in the industry,” says Gautam Narang, co-founder and CEO of Gatik.
“The real-time data derived from intelligent tire technology not only enhances the safety and predictability of our autonomous vehicles but also enables us to maintain high levels of efficiency, reliability and delivery uptime throughout our operations.”
ABS safety with TNO
TNO, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, and Goodyear showcased new possibilities for vehicle safety by integrating tire intelligence technology into the anti-lock brake system (ABS) controller of a test vehicle.
According to Goodyear and TNO officials, through collaborative research and testing on a physical test vehicle, the companies effectively showcased that an improved ABS - equipped with information about the tire type and characteristics, such as wear - can potentially enhance overall system efficiency and reduce braking distance by as much as 5.75 feet.
“Our collaborative work with TNO has yielded invaluable insights, with exciting possibilities to deliver greater value to our customers and support the future of mobility,” says Werner Happenhofer, vice president, of tire intelligence and eMobility solutions, Goodyear.
TDK accelerates tire technology
TDK Corp. and Goodyear also announced a collaboration to bring a robust tire sensing system to the market by combining TDK’s software, sensor and electronic components with Goodyear’s tire development, intelligent solutions and industry trends.
“This alliance will have the joint benefit of accelerating both technology and customer access to the highest performance sensor technology in the market,” says Jim Tran, general manager, of Americas HQ and deputy general manager, of technology and intellectual property center, TDK Corp.
The two companies are in the process of conducting market research and technical exploration for a joint solution that delivers actionable insights improving vehicle performance, safety and efficiency.
Both TDK and Goodyear will demonstrate their latest technologies and system solutions at CES. TDK’s booth is in the central hall (LVCC) booth 20521, and Goodyear’s booth is in the west hall (LVCC) Booth 4917.
CES is taking place this week in Las Vegas, Nev.
