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Green Michelin tyre for green Vauxhall Insignia
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20/11/2008
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Michelin has developed a tyre specifically for the new Vauxhall Insignia ecoFLEX (pictured) which the tyre-maker claims helps to reduce fuel consumption by up to 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres, thereby lowering CO2 emissions by more than 4 grams per kilometre.
In this way, says Michelin, the tyre contributes to the Insignia ecoFLEX’s excellent performance in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – fewer than 140 grams per kilometre – on a 160-horsepower vehicle.
Michelin has been involved in GM’s development program since its inception and set up a dedicated technical team for the Insignia project. The car manufacturer identified very early on the important contribution the tyre can make to a vehicle’s environmental balance, accounting for 20% of total fuel consumption. With each turn of the wheel, the tyre compresses to hug the road and absorb surface irregularities. As its structure is deformed, the rubber heats up and some of the energy is lost, a phenomenon that creates rolling resistance.
In 1992, Michelin demonstrated that integrating silica in tyre rubber compounds would reduce fuel consumption while optimising performance in other key areas, such as grip and wear-resistance.
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Author
Ken Hurst
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