Orange Infused Tyres? Are We Taking the Pip?
It seems that everything from fabric softner to olive oil is “infused” with something or other these days – and now even black rubber tyres are being given the same treatment!
Yokohama, the Japanese tyres manufacturer, is calling the dB Super E-spec “the world’s first orange oil-infused passenger tyre” and reveals that it is composed of 80% non-petroleum-based materials.
The newly launched tyre contains a mix of “sustainable orange oil and natural rubber to drastically cut the use of petroleum without compromising performance”, according to Dan King, vice president of sales for Yokohama.
He added: “It also helps consumers save money at the gas pump by improving fuel efficiency via a 20% reduction in rolling resistance and an Advanced Inner Liner that minimizes tyre weight and reduces air loss to help the tyre stay properly inflated.”
Mark Chung, director of corporate strategy and planning for Yokohama, added: “The idea of combining oil from orange peels with natural rubber was originally conceived by our racing engineers.
“The same orange oil technology… can be seen today with our Advan ENV-R1 TM racing tyre on Porsche GT3 Cup cars.”
The dB Super E-spec also contains a new compound, Yokohama’s proprietary Super Nano-Power Rubber, which is designed to deliver lower rolling resistance.
The tyre will initially be available in four sizes: 185/65R15 88H, 195/65R15 91H, 195/55R16 86V, and 215/60R16 95V, all of which fit the Toyota Prius, Honda Accord Hybrid and other vehicles.
Oliver Hall, Operations Team
Number: Z8037079
Reg: NKF419
