Recently several people have asked me how they could keep the environment in mind while purchasing tires. Well, fortunately for all of us many tire manufacturers have stepped up to the plate and begun selling environmentally friendly tires.

Green Tires come in a few varieties, but here I’ll break it down into three simple categories:

•    Tires Made with Sustainable Materials- Tires such as these are made with environmentally friendly alternatives to rubber.  A prime example of this are Yokohama’s new tires that are made with oil found in an orange peel.  Reed more here: http://www.yokohamatire.com/eco/eco_landing.aspx

•    Tires with Low Rolling Resistance- The higher the rolling resistance of a tire the more energy is required to turn the tire, which is the equation for lower fuel economy. In the past, lowering the rolling resistance of your tires compromised how well your tires acted during   braking. No longer is this the case, manufacturers have introduced tires with low rolling resistance that brake even better than traditional tires. See Michilen’s new HydroEdge as an example: http://www.michelinman.com/green/tires/

•    Re-Engineered Tires- Not your father’s re-treads, advanced tire remanufacturing technologies have proven a tire’s second life can be higher quality than the first. The best example on the market is Green Diamond Tires, a brand of tires that embeds silicium carbide granules into the tread of the re-engineered tire. Thus, the new tire has enhanced traction and wearing properties compared to the original tire. See more at Green Diamond Tire’s website: http://www.greendiamondtire.com/

Go forth and go Green your tires!  Any other ideas? Let us know…

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• Yokohama
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