Goodyear celebrated their 125th Anniversary at a private event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia named Goodyear: 125 Years in Motion. It also served as the launch of 4 new tires for the ASEAN region’s lineup, as well as a rundown of the company’s rich history and where their future is headed.
The moment was attended by several delegates from different countries, including three members of the motoring media from the Philippines. Also present was Goodyear Asia Pacific President Nathaniel Madarang, Goodyear Asia Pacific Vice President for Consumer Tires Pietro Saletta, and Goodyear Asia Pacific Vice President for Product Development and Quality Greg Hanna.
“Asia Pacific has emerged as one of the world’s largest automotive markets and holds incredible potential,” said Madarang. “Goodyear’s Innovative spirit and drive for excellence puts us at the epicenter of the mobility revolution and we are working closely with customers and innovators to transform the transportation industry.”
4 New Tires
Highlighting the celebration is the introduction of 4 new tires for the ASEAN market. This is the Assurance MaxGuard for sedans, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 for higher performance cars, Wrangler Duratrac RT for off-roading vehicles, and the new line of ElectricDrive for electric cars.
They all feature the latest innovations from Goodyear and I was able to put most of them to the test when they took us to the Sepang International Circuit. But, that experience is for another day. Right now the new Assurance Maxguard was confirmed to arrive in the Philippines soon, with no word if the other three will follow.
Latest Innovative Projects
Apart from the new tires, Goodyear also showcased the things they’re working on in a tech showcase. It emphasizes their commitment to a better future. Seen there was the popular airless tires that are seen as the next evolution of conventional car tires in the market. There’s also the aero tires that have a wide aerodynamic rim for future vehicles with vertical propulsion, as well as the Eagle 360 Urban which is a 360-degree wheel.
They also showcased the BetterFuture tire which is 90% composed of sustainable materials. Among its ingredients are soybean oil, rice husk, natural rubber, corn kernel, pine tree, and recycled plastics and metals. It’s not in production yet but it already passed regulatory testing as well as Goodyear’s internal testing.
Goodyear also went beyond tires with the Goodyear SightLine. It’s a suite of tire intelligence technologies pretty much like the Advanced Driver Assist System in new cars today. It has a real time sensing of the tires and detects problems even before they become fully apparent. This way it can alert the driver, fleet operator, or local car distributor if their unit encounters a problem, allowing them to have a proactive solution.
Goodyear is still looking far up ahead despite being in the game for 125 years. They’re targeting to be the first to introduce a 100% sustainable and maintenance free tire by 2030, and further reduce their environmental impact by 2040 by fully replacing petroleum-derived oils in their products and using renewable energy in all their infrastructures.