Earlier this year we told you about Goodyear's new experimental tire that contains its own air pump to keep the tire automatically inflated at the right pressure at all times.

Now Goodyear is ready to put that tire on the road for some extensive tests, first on commercial trucks.

Goodyear's Keith Price tells AkronNewsNow "We have built prototype tires of the commercial air maintenance technology at our plant in Topeka, Kansas. We have done validation tests to show that the pumping mechanism does work."

Now Price says those new prototype tires are being unveiled this week at a commercial vehicle show in Hanover, Germany.

"Next year we'll be doing a more extensive fleet test where we will have tires on the road on fleets of trucks to test them further," says Price.

Tests on self-inflating tires for passenger cars are underway at a Goodyear technical cenrter in Europe.

Keith Price says there is a no firm timetable as to when Goodyear will have the self-inflating tire ready to go on the market, but the totallly self-contained  tire pumping system is sure to be a boost for Goodyear when it is available to consumers.

News Release From The Goodyear Tire And Rubber Company

AKRON, Ohio, September 19, 2012 – Over the past year, researchers at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have been working on a new Air Maintenance Technology application that can aid in fuel savings and CO2 reductions while potentially improving performance and eliminating need for external inflation pressure intervention. The commercial application of Goodyear's Air Maintenance Technology will make its debut at the 2012 Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, Germany.

Tire-related costs are the single largest maintenance item for commercial vehicle fleet operators with more than 50 percent of all truck and trailer breakdowns involving a tire in some way1. Goodyear's Air Maintenance Technology mechanism allows tires to maintain constant, optimum pressure without the use of external pumps, electronics and driver intervention.

Proper tire inflation can result in improved fuel economy, prolonged tread life and optimized tire performance. Customers should receive the following key benefits from Air Maintenance Technology-enabled tires:
Improved Fuel Economy

Optimum tire pressure is key in the commercial market. It is estimated that for every 10 psi lost in tire inflation, there is a one percent2 loss in miles per gallon.

While one percent may seem insignificant, it could cost a truck owner over $627.00 in fuel, based on a vehicle that has a fuel consumption of 6.6 miles per gallon, runs 100,000 miles a year with a diesel fuel price of $4.10/gallon3
Prolonged Tread Life

AMT is expected to play a major role in optimizing tread life in the commercial tire market. Tires which are under inflated by ten percent decrease tread life by 9-16 percent4. By utilizing Goodyear's Air Maintenance Technology, commercial vehicle fleet operators will be able to realize the full mileage potential of their tires, thus saving money by prolonging the use of their tires.
Optimized Performance

Properly inflated tires are also necessary to keep a vehicle's handling performance at optimal levels. Under-inflation means less evenly distributed pressure on the road. It also reduces the tread area that is in direct contact with the road and can impact the integrity of the tire casing, which is key to the retreading process.

Commercial trucks pose a different challenge for AMT than that of consumer vehicles as their tires are larger, have higher inflation pressures, drive longer distances and carry much heavier loads. Commercial tires operate at a higher air pressure, typically 105 psi for commercial tires vs. 32 psi for consumer tires. This is a much more challenging performance requirement for the pump system. The life of a commercial truck tire is often extended by retreading. The commercial truck AMT system is being designed to perform after the retreading process.

"We believe the Air Maintenance Technology application for commercial vehicle tires will not only enhance the performance of the tire, but will also provide cost savings to fleet owners and operators through the extension of tire tread life and increased fuel economy" stated Goodyear's Chief Technical Officer, Jean-Claude Kihn. "The progress we continue to make with this technology is very encouraging. We look forward to further testing of this concept."

Engineers at Goodyear's Innovation Center in Akron, Ohio, USA are credited with the development of the commercial application of this concept and the supporting technology. Prototype tires have been produced in Goodyear's Topeka manufacturing plant in Kansas, USA, and rigorous validation testing has confirmed that the AMT pumping mechanism works. An extensive fleet trial is planned to gather real-world information from customers in 2013.

A $1.5 million grant from The United States Department of Energy's Office (DOE) of Vehicle Technology is helping speed up research, development and demonstration of the AMT system for commercial vehicle tires. A grant from the Luxembourg government for research and development will continue to help fund Goodyear's efforts in researching and developing the AMT system for consumer tires.