Tests Confirm That Low Rolling Resistance Tires Save Fuel

September 22nd, 2009

Following a recent test at its South Bend, IN test track, Tire Rack has published a comprehensive report analyzing the effectiveness of eco-friendly, low rolling resistance (LRR) tires. In its published report, Tire Rack confirms that using LRR tires is an effective way for consumers to save money while reducing carbon emissions through increased fuel efficiency.

As manufacturers continue to release more and more eco-friendly tire models, Tire Rack conducted a Real World Road Ride Economy Run to determine whether lower rolling resistance tires are effective at increasing fuel efficiency. The test, which used a small fleet of Toyota Prius hybrids outfitted with the Goodyear Integrity all-season radial tires as a baseline, compared its fuel efficiency and traction to other eco-friendly and standard tire models. Each tire was driven over 550 miles of a 6.6-mile loop of expressways, highways and side roads. The Prius outfitted with the baseline tire achieved 51.4 miles per gallon.

*Calculated based on GPS distances and ScanGage II recorded consumption (offset 6% for Prius Summer E10 regular grade fuel).

In the case of the Prius, the difference between the lowest and highest recorded miles per gallon would result in an annual difference of about 21 gallons of regular gasoline consumed at a cost of about $52.50 (at $2.50/gallon) for drivers traveling 15,000 miles a year. The fuel economy recorded for each tire and its relative position compared to the Integrity tire’s average is available at www.tirerack.com/mpgtest.

While the low-tech ways of achieving lower tire rolling resistance has usually traded off wet traction and/or treadwear, further controlled testing at Tire Rack’s test track has also shown that the newest high-tech, fuel-efficient tires have achieved it without compromising traction thanks to the introduction of new tread compounds, tire designs and weight optimizing manufacturing processes.

According to newly passed governmental Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards, new vehicles will need to achieve 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. As automakers reevaluate every aspect of their vehicles in order to increase fuel efficiency, fitting their vehicles with LRR tires is an easy first step.

Entry Filed under: Tire/Wheel Testing