The Japanese tire maker Yokohama has begun marketing its db Super E-spec orange oil infused tires. The tires are a secret blend of 80% orange oil extracted from orange rinds and 20% traditional petroleum based rubber. The tire drastically reduces the use of petroleum but according to the company "doesn't compromise performance".
But the question remains...do they work. Tests show that not only do they cut petroleum use but they also help consumers improve mileage. The new flexible rubber blend decrease rolling resistance by 20% thereby improving gas mileage by as much as 4%.
The tires will be available in four sizes initially... not surprisingly all sizes to fit the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid and Honda Accord Hybrid.
The company has certainly made incredible gains in making the tire manufacturing process more sustainable- Id love to see the company's plans for the entire lifecycle of the tire. How will they be disposed? Can used tires be recycled into new tires? Are the materials toxic? How environmentally friendly is the manufacturing process?
Great post. I believe I will wait for some more data. Safety issues and all, this is not an area where i would experiment.
Michael- I agree- thats definitely a concern. But one positive note- the same technology was used in the tires at this years Porsche GT3 Challenge in Sebring. Thats a pretty good testing ground.
Mike: Question then becomes can I clean anything with them and how do they taste?
I bet that takes a lot of orange rinds. Since Brazil and the United States produce almost half of the world's oranges, I wonder if the US will finally benefit from exports to Japan.
Mike, it will be interesting to see the total impact that this will have on the environment. On the surface, with the orange oil base, I would assume that it would be more beneficial in the long run, at least I hope that it is!
I would never have believed it! What an amazing use of oranges. I don't know how they think this stuff up, but I'm glad we have such ingenious people.