Lanxess makes A-A rated concept tyre

ERJ staff report (DS)

Leverkusen, Germany - In an unusual move, materials supplier Lanxess AG has made a tyre. The company said the tyre would receive an A-A rating under the EU's new consumer labeling scheme, due to come into effect from 1 November this year.

The company said it wanted to demonstrate the importance of its neodymium-based performance butadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) to increase durability, especially in AA-rated tyres. Although durability will not be rated on the new EU tyre labels, Lanxess it will be a key differentiation criteria among top-ranked tyres. The tyre was first shown at a Mobility day held in North America. IN that region, tyre life is seen as a very important factor affecting the buying decision. Wet grip is seen as a more important factor in the European market.

November 2012 will see the launch of mandatory tyre labeling in the European Union (EU). Tyres will be graded from A to G according to their fuel efficiency and wet grip. Rolling noise is also measured. Therefore, the new legislation provides more transparency for consumers by highlighting the added value of “Green Tyres”. According to TU Munich, the market share of class A and B tyres in the EU is expected to reach 20-30 percent in 2017 and then jump to 70-80 percent in 2022.

The tyre was shown at Lanxess' inaugural “Mobility Day North America”. The one-day conference was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, and addressed the theme “Advanced Technologies for Sustainable Mobility'

“We are hosting Mobility Day here because the United States is the heart and soul of the automotive world,” said Lanxess CEO Axel C. Heitmann at the opening of the event.

The keynote guest speaker was former General Motors Vice Chairman Robert (Bob) A. Lutz and the author of the book “Car Guys vs. Bean Counters”

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Press release (A-A tyre) from Lanxess

Press release (mobility day) from Lanxess