Tires made from orange oil instead of petroleum
Tire maker Yokohama has begun selling a new type of tire made mainly from orange oil instead of petroleum. The substitution plus the use of natural rubber allows the tires to be 80 percent petroleum-free.
The concept for the Super E-spec was introduced by the company a year ago and won the Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award in 2008. Beyond just replacing petroleum with a renewable resource, the new tire model has also shown a 20 percent reduction in rolling resistance, which can improve fuel economy by about 4 percent (not a huge difference, but every little bit helps). The tires have just made it to market, but the company is working to place them on carmakers' hybrid models like the Toyota Prius.
While we love the idea of cutting out petroleum in the manufacturing of products, we'd like to hear more from the company about the entire life cycle of these tires. Do they have a plan for recycling or sustainably disposing of them once they're no longer usable?
You do not appear to have Yahoo! Messenger installed. Click here to download and install it.
- Subscribe to Y! Green Featured Articles
- Subscribe to Y! Green News
Past Blog Entries
- Fastest computer in the world focused on climate change
- Action on climate change delayed: Copenhagen won't be binding, Congress won't pass bill this year
- 203 MW wind farm completed in Utah
- Solar spacecraft to launch in 2010
- Wind turbines to power cell phone towers
Leave a Comment:
You must first sign in.
More Green Stories
-
Slow-cooker side dishes for Thanksgiving
These recipes will delight guests -- and leave the cook with time to mingle.
-
10 ways to catch germs over the holidays
Parties and family gatherings mean more chances to catch up -- and catch a cold.
-
Too much of a good thing
Aren't there some things that you just can't have too much of? Not really.
comments from our community
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 comments
Post Comment