"Green tires" reduce the fuel consumption of vehicles by as much as 7 percent in urban traffic (around 4.1 percent on average) and can save fleet operators thousands of euros every year. These high-performance tires – graded “C” or above for fuel efficiency on the EU tire label – also significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of vehicles compared to standard tires. These are the results of a practical tire test jointly conducted by Lanxess, the world's leading manufacturer of synthetic high-performance rubbers for the tire industry, and energy provider RheinEnergie."With this long-term test, we have now also shown in practice that high-performance tires hold great savings potential for fleet operators and also for individuals. 'Green tires' not only cut costs, they also make an important contribution to protecting the environment," says Rainier van Roessel, member of the Lanxess AG Board of Management. For example, if all of the 442,013 diesel and gasoline passenger cars registered in Cologne ran on "green tires" of rolling resistance class B rather than F, then it would be possible to save some 19.8 million liters of fuel and reduce CO2 emissions by almost 48,000 million metric tons a year, based on an average mileage of 14,000 kilometers. The use of "green tires" alone could therefore compensate for the CO2 emissions of more than 18,000 cars on Cologne's roads.
The full extent of the economic benefits of switching to "green tires" for fleet operators can be seen in another example: a fleet with a total of 650 cars or vans of up to 3.5 metric tons currently running on tires with a rolling resistance rating of F on the EU label could save almost EUR 44,500 a year in fuel costs just by switching to B-rated tires – assuming a distance of 14,000 kilometers per vehicle and a diesel price of EUR 1.35/liter. The CO2 reductions would amount to almost 87 metric tons per year.
RheinEnergie uses "green tires"
RheinEnergie has therefore decided to successively switch its vehicle fleet over to "green tires". The first step will be to refit around 130 vehicles as part of the usual tire replacement schedule resulting from wear. Others are to follow once "green tires" are also available in different sizes."As an energy service provider and supplier we take our responsibility for the environment very seriously," says RheinEnergie Executive Board member Norbert Graefrath. "We are delighted to find such an expedient and convenient way of making a contribution to environmental protection." Already by refitting the first 130 vehicles it will be possible to cut CO2 emissions by a good 11 metric tons a year.
TÜV Rheinland verifies test results
TÜV Rheinland monitored and verified the practical tire test carried out by Lanxess and RheinEnergie as an independent authority and also documented all the results. "The long-term test monitored by TÜV Rheinland confirms that it makes economic and environmental sense to use 'green tires' even on small vehicles used in urban traffic," explains Jürgen Braukmann, member of the Group Executive Council of TÜV Rheinland responsible for mobility.
