Goodyear to supply sensors for semi-autonomous fleet

AKRON — Goodyear is expanding its collaboration with Tesloop Inc., which operates a fleet of semi-autonomous electric-powered Teslas, by supplying wireless sensors in its tires with the goal of improving tire management and maximizing uptime for its fleet.

Goodyear said the wireless sensors continuously measure tire temperature and pressure, which then is compared with other vehicle data and connected to Goodyear's cloud-based proprietary algorithms. Goodyear said the process enhances overall fleet operations and predicts when tires need service or replacement.

"We want to build the future, not just observe or read about it," said Chris Helsel, Goodyear's chief technology officer. "As the new mobility ecosystem continues to take shape, we are taking steps to match the pace of technical change in the transportation industry and develop tire innovations that meet the intelligence of the vehicles riding on them."

As part of its collaboration with Tesloop, which was founded in 2015, Goodyear will extend its mobile fleet solutions to passenger vehicles, providing tire maintenance and repair while Tesloop vehicles are at charging stations, during regularly planned downtime.

"When you are operating cars nearly 24/7/365, minimizing tire incidents is critical to the customer experience and the business model," Tesloop CEO Rahul Sonnad said. "The possibilities for data-driven tire diagnostics are remarkable and promise to help a business like Tesloop operate more efficiently and make our vehicles the safest on the road."

Tesloop's fleet of Teslas average up to 17,000 miles per vehicle, per month. According to Goodyear, the fleet's highest-mileage vehicle, a Tesla Model S in operation since 2015, recently exceeded 300,000 miles.

Goodyear began collaborating with Tesloop in January, teaming up with the California ride-sharing company to accumulate information about tire wear and performance by studying data the firm gathers from its city-to-city mobility service.

Goodyear said its partnership with Tesloop builds "on its successful commercialization of Goodyear Proactive Solutions for truck fleets, using advanced telematics and predictive analytics technology to allow fleet operators to optimize fuel efficiency and precisely identify and resolve tire-related issues before they happen."

Goodyear said it also is working with auto makers to provide tire information to vehicle control systems to enhance safety and performance.

"Goodyear is breaking new ground with the combination of fleet management expertise, intelligent products, and a vast service network to deliver complete solutions for the future of mobility." Mr. Helsel said.

Tesloop operates Tesla's four-door S and gull-wing X models, fitted with the Eagle RS-A2 and Eagle F1 Asymmetric, respectively, Goodyear said. Both are all-wheel drive and seat up to seven passengers.