Recognised throughout the world as an American industrial icon, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has played a major role in moving the world forward since its founding in 1898. Seen as a leader in the tyre industry, Goodyear celebrates its 120-year history of breakthrough achievements and products, while continuing to keep its eye on the road ahead with innovations beyond tyres to help advance the next revolution in mobility.
120 Years of Innovation Celebrated by Goodyear
“Few companies have left tracks intertwined so closely with key milestones in human history as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Founded at the dawn of the motor age, Goodyear took to the skies and eventually travelled to the moon. We are always at the forefront of innovation, dedicated to offering our customers and clients the Freedom to Move through superior products and services.” said Ryan Patterson, President, Goodyear Asia Pacific.
“With 120 years of achievements, we have generations of momentum propelling us forward to continue innovating in the decades to come,” Patterson continued. “We’re celebrating our legacy of innovation at a time when the industry is evolving faster than any time since the invention of the automobile.”
From racetracks to the Modular Equipment Transporter on the moon, Goodyear’s products are found in a multitude of exciting and compelling human achievements. Here’s a sample of the past, present and future of the tyre company’s innovations.
PAST – Goodyear’s Innovation Heritage
A String of Firsts
In 1839, Charles Goodyear discovered a revolutionary invention that changed people’s everyday lives, the vulcanisation of rubber. His namesake company has claimed many firsts, including tyres on the first mass-produced car in the Ford Model T (1908); first pneumatic aviation tyres (1909); and first tyres on the moon with NASA astronauts (1971).
Not Just for Cars
After introducing the first aviation tyres, Goodyear expanded to create ‘fruitful and innovative’ products such as the first retreadable aircraft tyres in 1927. By the 1980s, Goodyear launched the first FAA-approved radial tyres for commercial aircraft.
On the Track
Throughout its history, Goodyear has been dominating across the entire spectrum of motor sports. In 1998, Goodyear won its 368th Formula 1 Grand Prix race, the most of any other tyre manufacturer.
For more than 60 years, Goodyear has been a fixture in NASCAR racing and is currently the exclusive tyre supplier to the circuit’s top three series.
PRESENT – Goodyear’s Breakthroughs Today
Soybean Oil-Based Rubber Compound in Tyres
To further commit to its product responsibility and sustainability promise, Goodyear established its first commercial use of a new soybean oil-based rubber compound. The company’s team of resourceful scientists and engineers discovered a tread compound using soybean oil, which is naturally derived, cost effective, carbon neutral and renewable. By employing soybean oil in tyres, Goodyear found a new approach to keep the rubber compound pliable in changing temperatures, a key performance achievement in maintaining and enhancing the vehicle’s grip on the road surface. Furthermore, this also promotes the importance of safe driving as the advanced tyres are specifically used during dry, wet and winter conditions.
Silica Made From Rice-Husk Ash
To highlight its commitment to the community, market place and environment, Goodyear began using silica derived from rice husk ash to enhance traction and tread wear in selected consumer tyres. Rice husk ash is an environmental friendly and cost-effective alternative to the chemical compound.
Sensors in Tyres
Technology is becoming essential in our daily lives and Goodyear has ‘innovated’ its products to meet the standards of today’s industry trends. Its latest creation of sensor-equipped intelligent tyres could continuously measure and record vital data that allows fleet operators to manage tyre services. Real-time data is displayed into Goodyear’s proprietary algorithm, which enables fleet managers to monitor tyre wear, temperature and pressure in real time. In 2018, its prototype was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
FUTURE – Goodyear’s Role in New World of Mobility
Goodyear’s focus
Intelligent tyres – With the fast growth of artificial intelligence in today’s auto industry, cars are the third fastest growing device after phones and tablets. Goodyear‘s focus is on securing its tyres as intelligent as the vehicles, especially as consumers demand a 360-degree experience with higher levels of autonomy. The prototype was demonstrated at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.
Ride- and car-sharing – To ensure consumers’ rides are safe, comfortable and reliable as possible, Goodyear is focusing on improving the solutions for ride- and car-sharing. Recently, the company worked with startup companies such as Stratim and Tesloop in this area.
Concepts for the future of mobility – Goodyear says the future holds a ‘prosperous plan’ for the company as it continues its aim to flourish towards a more urban and sustainable environment. Recent examples are revolutionary concepts such as the Eagle 360 Urban and Oxygene, a concept that Goodyear presented to ‘inspire the lives of people in the future’.
Eagle-360, Eagle-360 Urban and IntelliGrip Urban
As artificial intelligence is progressing over the years, Goodyear’s Eagle-360 concept tyre is designed to enable the future of mobility and was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. A spherical-shaped design concept tyre, it was designed with key features of manoeuvrability, connectivity and biomimicry for autonomous mobility that allows the car to move in all directions. This contributes to the safety for passengers as well as coping with space limitations such as tight parking lots or city streets.
Goodyear’s new concepts – the spherical-shaped Eagle 360 Urban and IntelliGrip Urban smart tyre – apply emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity to help the autonomous vehicles of the future navigate the millions of possible unknowns we face in every day driving scenarios.
固特异 120周年庆典：致敬百余年创新历程
作为誉满全球的美国工业标志性企业，固特异轮胎橡胶公司自1898年成立以来，在人类历史及生活方式的演变进程中发挥了举足轻重的作用。值此品牌成立120周年之际，固特异领军轮胎制造行业，回顾百余年来取得的开创性成果。公司将持续以创新为驱动力，推动出行领域新一轮变革浪潮。
固特异亚太区总裁帕特森（Ryan Patterson ）表示：“固特异轮胎橡胶公司是为数不多的几家与人类发展史上诸多颇具里程碑意义的大事件息息相关的企业。几乎与整个行业一起成长起来的固特异，在公司成立之初，就聚焦航空航天领域，最终为人类登月太空车提供轮胎产品。我们始终走在创新的前沿，致力于为客户及消费者提供卓越的产品与服务，带来驾享无界的出行体验。”
他还表示：“延续过去120年来的杰出成就，固特异拥有持续而强大的创新力，未来几十年，我们仍将锐意进取，继续前行。”
从激情赛道到月球上的登月设备，固特异的一系列产品在激动人心、引人瞩目的人类历史中扮演了重要角色，以下是在过去120年发展中由固特异所创造的部分丰硕成果：
过去：固特异创新遗产
一连串的第一
1839年，查尔斯●固特异（Charles Goodyear）发明了硫化橡胶，改变了今天人们的生活。以他的名字定名的公司取得了许多第一，包括将轮胎安装在第一次批量生产的福特Model T（1908）年的车款上、发布第一条充气航空轮胎（1909）和携手美国国家航空航天局（NASA）研发首款登月轮胎（1071）。
不仅只是汽车
发布首款航空轮胎后，固特异没有停下创新脚步，继续研发了许多富有成效的创新产品。1927年，公司开发出首款胎面可翻新的轮胎。这款名为Flight Eagle的轮胎，专为20世纪70年代小型公务飞机打造。至上世纪80年代，固特异推出首款获美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）认证的飞机用子午轮胎。
奔驰在赛道上
在整个固特异的历史中，固特异在各类汽车赛事领域屡屡包揽冠军殊荣。截至1998年，固特异成为创造了368次F1赛事冠军纪录的轮胎制造商，助力众多赛车及车队在比赛中大展风采。
60多年来，固特异始终走在创新前沿。固特异一直为纳斯卡（NASCAR）三大系列赛提供轮胎，目前它更是该赛事的独家轮胎供应商。
现在：固特异今日的创新
首创以大豆油为橡胶原料的轮胎
固特异率先将以大豆油为原料的合成橡胶材料投入商用，进一步履行它立志生产可持续性产品的承诺。固特异工程师和科学家团队利用天然可再生的大豆油研发出胎面复合物，天然大豆油具有碳平衡的优势，有助于降低能源消耗。固特异发现，以大豆油为原料打造轮胎产品，可有效确保合成橡胶材料的柔韧性在温度变化的情况下不受影响。得益于此项技术，固特异相关轮胎产品的性能得以显著提升，有助于确保并进一步增强轮胎产品在干湿地及冬季路况下的性能表现。
稻壳灰二氧化硅原料
固特异将新型稻壳灰二氧化硅原料用于部分乘用车轮胎中，优化轮胎的引力和磨耗，展现它对社会、市场及环境的承诺。稻壳是环保产品，也是化学复合物更具成本效益的替代品。
轮胎内的传感器
科技在我们的日常生活中变得愈发重要。 随着汽车工业的发展，越来越多的新技术涌现。而为了应对这一发展，固特异自然不甘屈于人后。它备有传感器的最新智能轮胎，能够测量和记录重要数据，方便车队运营者管理轮胎服务。实时的数据，透过固特异基于云的算法，让车队经理得以实时监控轮胎磨耗、轮胎温度计气压。固特异在2018年的日内瓦汽车展中发布该产品的原型。
未来：固特异在新移动世界里的角色
固特异的焦点
智能轮胎 – 随着人工智能在汽车工业里的快速成长， 汽车是电话和平板电脑成长最迅速的装置。使轮胎一如汽车般智能是固特异的重点，尤其如今的消费者要求一个高度自动化的360度全方位体验。固特异于2018年日内瓦国际车展上隆重发布该产品的原型。
乘驾和汽车共享 – 为了确保消费者的乘驾安全、舒适及可靠，固特异聚焦于改善乘驾和汽车分享。最近，该公司与Stratim和Tesloop专车平台在此领域里合作。
未来出行概念 – 固特异说未来为公司带来了一个繁荣的计划，当该公司朝向一个更城市化和更可持续的环境迈进。固特异所发布的革新概念如Eagle 360 Urban和Oxygene，就是最佳的例子。
Eagle-360、Eagle-360 Urban及IntelliGrip Urban概念胎
有鉴于这些年来人工智能科技的大跃进，固特异研发了全新的Eagle-360 Urban概念胎，并于2016年日内瓦国际车展上发布了该款概念胎。这款球形概念轮胎采用仿生设计，具有革命性的操控性能及移动互联功能，专为自动驾驶汽车设计打造。球形设计支持车辆360度全方位转向，为乘客带来安全的乘车体验。同时，球形设计又能应对空间局限问题，方便车辆在城市街道穿行或在狭窄的空间泊车。
两款全新概念轮胎——球形Eagle 360 Urban概念胎和IntelliGrip Urban智能轮胎——借助人工智能和V2X互联科技等新兴技术，以便未来自动驾驶车辆能够轻松应对日常驾驶场景中各类可能发生的状况。
