Yokohama BluEarth AE-01 eco tyre
Latest tyres from Yokohama use use more than 80 per cent renewable materials in their construction
Price: From £43.44 (13-inch tyre)
Contact: www.yokohama.co.uk
Yokohama has launched its latest eco-friendly tyre. The BluEarth AE-01 is the second model in the company’s green tyre line-up – its launch comes nearly a year after the BluEarth-1 debuted – and claims to help cut fuel bills by around three per cent and also reduce road noise.
The tyre is designed exclusively for the booming compact car market, and gets off to a flying start in terms of green credentials by using more than 80 per cent renewable materials in its construction. These include nano blend rubber and orange oil.
Yokohama has designed the tyre with aerodynamics and lightness in mind, so it cuts through the air with minimal wind resistance, while less fuel is required to turn the wheel than with the company’s A Drive tyre.
Also improving economy is the fact it’s 10 per cent lighter than the A Drive, plus it has a new carcass construction, and the symmetric tread design means it’ll be quieter. The tread blocks have been arranged in a so-called five-step variation.
The unique shoulder will ensure excellent grip when cornering, so this should be a safe, quiet and comfortable tyre – and it’s thanks to this innovation that the BluEarth AE-01 won Japan’s Good Design Award.
Yokohama will offer the newcomer in 40 sizes, ranging from 205/55R16 91H to 155/80R13 79T. Prices start at £43.44 for a 13-inch tyre, but the exact cost will vary from fitter to fitter.
