Goodyear focuses on safety, sustainability at CES

LAS VEGAS — Goodyear disclosed a number of tire technology partnerships and a new electric-vehicle (EV) tire at CES, being held Jan. 9-12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Here's a look at what the Akron-based tire maker debuted:

Goodyear debuted its newest EV tire, the ElectricDrive 2, an all-season tire featuring sustainable materials, reduced rolling resistance and a long-lasting tread life to maximize EV performance, the company said.

The ElectricDrive 2 contains at least 50% sustainable materials per tire by weight, including the use of soybean oil in the tire's construction, rice husk ash silica and sustainably sourced natural rubber, Goodyear said.

The tire will be available in May in 17 sizes designed to fit popular EV sedans and CUVs, including the Tesla Models Y, 3 and S; Ford Mustang Mach-E; Chevy Bolt and Audi Q4 e-tron. Pricing was not disclosed.

The tire features Goodyear's SoundComfort technology — foam inserts that help reduce interior vehicle sound. It also has an asymmetric tread pattern for better handling in wet or dry road conditions. Both features that, according to research done by Goodyear, are important to EV owners.

"With the continued adoption of EVs, we want to meet consumer and market needs with an updated EV replacement tire," David Reese, vice president, product development, Goodyear Americas, said. "We know EV drivers prioritize performance and a more-sustainable tire... ."

Goodyear and German technology company ZF Friedrichshafen A.G. are combining their respective technologies.

Named a CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree, Goodyear's SightLine suite of tire intelligence technologies will become part of the ZF cubiX ecosystem, "a scalable vehicle motion control software that coordinates all dimensions of vehicle dynamics," according to Goodyear. The combination of technologies "provides further tire and road data into the chassis system and enables an improved driving experience with better comfort, control and efficiency."

Using research, virtual simulation and real-world testing, the companies have identified the benefits of integrating their technology to improve vehicle performance and safety. Goodyear said SightLine helps reduce the risk of hydroplaning by detecting partial hydroplaning early and offering recommendations for optimal speed to improve vehicle control.

When hydroplaning severity is detected, the cubiX software will instruct chassis actuators to apply corrective measures that stabilize the vehicle, the companies said.

The combined technology also can offer enhanced vehicle responsiveness, more direct and linear steering, improved turn-in response, increased stability, reduced controller workload and minimized intrusive interventions, Goodyear said.

Gatik AI Inc. announced plans to implement Goodyear's intelligent tire solution — Goodyear Endurance RSA tires equipped with Goodyear SightLine technology — into a "signifcant" portion" of its autonomous fleet across the U.S. and Canada.

Gatik's AV fleet of of Class 3 – 7 box trucks "has made significant strides in enhancing the safety, accuracy and overall performance of autonomous vehicles (AVs)," the company said. By using SightLine technology, Gatik said it has been able to advance the safety and accuracy of its efficient fleet operations, while also improving delivery uptime and reliability.

Gatik and Goodyear formed their partnershp in 2021 and announced a successful integration of SightLine technology and Gatik's AV fleet in early January 2023.

Gatik has used extensive on-road testing in a variety of real-world driving scenarios to gather tire intelligence data on road conditions and tire health, which has helped the company advance its AV controllers with insights about accurate cornering and braking stiffness, rolling resistance and tire load. The data are communicated between SightLine technology and the autonomous driving system through a real-time feedback loop. The data have enabled Gatik to yield numerous performance enchancements, including the ability to adapt swiftly and safely to various road conditions even when the mass or payload of the truck varies.

Goodyear and Gatik have partnerned to conduct ongoing, rigorous testing at Goodyear's Proving Grounds in San Angelo, Texas. This allows Gatik to ensure its AVs can undergo extensive testing in a safe, closed course environment for both common and unusual road scenarios, the companies said, including traffic lights, road signs, evasive maneuvers, tight turns, collision avoidance, precise lane keeping and minimum risk stopping distances.

The two companies have future plans to incorporate Goodyear's advanced predictive road condition monitoring solution into Gatik's autnomous driving system. The integration will allow Gatik to strategically plan its operations and ensure a consistent and reliable movement of goods for its consumer base, which includes the nation's largest grocers, retailers, distributors, e-commerce platforms and CPG companies.

The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the largest Dutch independent research and innovation organization, and Goodyear highlighted new possibilities for improving vehicle safety by integrating Goodyear SightLine technology into the anti-lock brake system (ABS) controller of a test vehicle.

Goodyear and TNO began collaborating in 2021.

Through collaborative research and testing with a test vehicle, the two companies found that an improved ABS, equipped with data about the tire type and characteristics such as wear state potentially could enhance overall system efficiency and reduce braking distance by as much as 5.75 feet, the companies said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than 1.7 million rear-end crashes in 2021 — nearly a third of all crashes in the U.S. Improved stopping distance has the potential to help drivers avoid accidents and reduce the severity of collisions.

"TNO is dedicated to enhancing the safety, efficiency and sustainability of vehicles," Machteld de Kroon, managing director, unit mobility and built environment, TNO said.

"Our collaboration with Goodyear aims to minimize every centimeter of braking distance. We firmly believe that by improving the integration of tires and braking systems, we can contribute to reducing accidents and ultimately saving lives."

Goodyear and TDK Corp. announced a collaboration to develop and adopt integrated intelligent hardware and software into tires and vehicle ecosystems.

The two companies plan to bring a robust tire-sensing system to market that combines TDK's software, sensor and electronic component expertise with Goodyear's work in tire development, intelligent solutions and industry trends.

The two companies are conducting market research and technical exploration for a joint solution that delivers actionable insights into improving vehicle performance, safety and efficiency.

"Working with influential organizations like TDK is essential to further innovate in the intelligence space. TDK's expertise in the sensor and electronics space will be instrumental in maximizing the utility of what a tire can provide," Chris Helsel, senior vice president, global operations and chief technology officer, Goodyear, said.

"We are driving toward a mobility future where vehicles themselves are smarter, safer and more sustainable. Collaborations like this one can play a critical role in achieving these objectives."