Goodyear is replacing a portion of the petroleum-based materials used in some of its Metro Miler city transit tires with a bio-based soybean oil compound. The majority of the Metro Miler G152 and G652 tires are now being made with soybean oil.
“In these tires, soybean oil replaces about 11 liquid ounces of free-flowing petroleum oil per tire – almost as much as a traditional soda can. Multiply that by a bus fleet of 1,600 buses, about the size used by some major metropolitan cities in the U.S., and that could mean the use of around 20 fewer barrels of oil," said Dustin Lancy, commercial product marketing manager, Goodyear North America.
Goodyear recently announced its plan to fully replace pretrolium-derived oils in its production by 2040.
The Metro Miler G152 and G652 also feature technology designed to resist sidewall damage, enhance toughness and provide long tread life. Reinforced shoulders and steel sidewalls help deliver long casing life, and the integrated sidewall wear indicators make it easier to spot wear due to excessive scuffing. These tires also include a multi-compound, scrub resistant tread that can stand up to the rigors of transit applications and extend tread life by resisting excessive wear, chunking, cracking and chipping.
The Metro Miler G152 and G652 tire models made with soybean oil are currently in production. They are available now for ordering.
