The Department of Transportation figures that something like 2 billion gallons of gas are wasted each year by people driving around with underinflated tires. Low tires are also more likely to heat up and blow out, will affect your vehicle's performance, and will even increase tread wear.
So Goodyear is doing something about it. Their new self-inflating tires are rolling out for commercial vehicles in Germany. They figure that, since the American Trucking Association reports that more than half of all breakdowns for trucks and trailers involve a tire, commercial drivers will be motivated to make the investment in new technology that could save them money and make their work safer and easier.
The tires contain a sensor that responds when a tire's psi falls below specifications. The regulator opens to allow air to come into the tire. The action of the road and the rolling tire in combination pump air into the tire, to the inlet valve. Once the pressure is back where it should be, the regulator closes to keep the air inside.
The new tires debuted at the 2012 Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Commercial Vehicle Show and will be out for field testing in 2013. If they're successful, passenger cars will be next.
In the meantime, when you think of safety, performance, and fuel economy in a car, you should think of Subaru. Come in and test drive one of our great vehicles today.
Categories:
Parts
