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Forget hybrids and stop start systems, new tyre designs could save up to 20 million tonnes of CO2 in the next five years, claims the world’s largest tyre maker.
Michelin reckons it will sell 100 million of its new Energy Saver tyre by 2012. A set four tyres cuts a car’s CO2 output by 4g/km. The figure could be even higher if buyers of replacement tyres choose low-rolling resistance rubber.
Tyres account for up to 20 per cent of the energy consumption of a vehicle, through heat losses as the tyre deforms under load, commonly called rolling resistance.
The Energy Saver, which was developed with Peugeot for the new 308, uses a new material that combines low rolling resistance qualities with what Michelin claims are grip and wear qualities comparable to regular tyres.
The ewn design is also lighter than the tyre it replaces, cutting mass and consequently reducing heat build up. Michelin claims that it will be able to cut rolling resistance of its tyres by 50 per cent by 2030.
Dan Stevens
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