Driverless shuttles to use Goodyear airless tires
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n an industry first, Goodyear has developed a nonpneumatic (airless) tire (NPT) and wheel assembly to support autonomous vehicle transportation in a city setting for in-field use with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). For the past three years, Goodyear and Local Motors have tested an Olli shuttle supported by the NPT at Goodyear testing facilities and other locations reaching several performance targets with respect to load, speed and durability. In 2019, Goodyear pivoted its NPT concentration to on-road testing and a growing
relationship with Local Motors. While this testing phase will reveal more about non-pneumatic tires, airless tires may offer sustainable, maintenance-free and longer-lasting options. The urban transportation environment provides an ideal testing scenario for the alternative tire architecture given its lower speed and less variable travel paths. Goodyear and Local Motors will gather experiential data from the JTA, looking for viewpoints on ride comfort, noise and other variables. “As mobility evolves, we feel that tires can transform the way we move and alternative airless architectures
are ideal, particularly in the emerging autonomous transportation environment,” said Michael Rachita, Goodyear’s senior program manager, non-pneumatic tires. “This is
an important milestone as we look to advance mobility today and as we look to introduce the first completely sustainable and maintenance-free tires by the end of the decade.”
Nissan shares latest updates on sustainability efforts
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taying true to its commitment of making the world a better place with its own efforts, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. published its Sustainability Report 2021. For almost two decades now, the brand has been transparent to the public with regards to its efforts by publishing reports annually. The report contains summary of Nissan’s approach and activities related to sustainability. This year’s sustainability report provides detailed information relating areas of environment, traffic safety, diversity and inclusion, quality, supply chain, employees, community engagement, and corporate governance and compliance. Nissan has issued a sustainability report
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since 2004 to increase the transparency of its business activities. By making information publicly available, Nissan aims to use external feedback to improve and to contribute to the development of a sustainable society. Coinciding with the issuing of this year’s report, Nissan cohosted an online, public seminar to further boost transparency and
discussion on the subject of sustainability. Nissan has long positioned sustainability at the core of its business operations and in 2018 announced a new sustainability strategy, Nissan Sustainability 2022. The strategy outlines Nissan’s commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. Through its mid-term environmental
action plan, Nissan Green Program 2022, Nissan is also addressing climate change, resource dependency, air quality, and water scarcity. Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida said: “The products, technologies and services that Nissan provides reach people all over the world, and we are connected to society in various ways. We are expected to address
environmental and social issues, such as achieving carbon neutrality across our operations, preserving natural resources, and working to protect the human rights of people connected to our supply chain. Through innovation and sound business activities, Nissan will continue to respond by providing products and technologies that enrich people’s lives, thereby aiming to provide solutions and contribute to the development of a sustainable society.” Under its corporate purpose of “driving innovation to enrich people’s lives”, Nissan will continue to contribute to the building of a cleaner, safer and more inclusive society as part of its efforts to develop a sustainable society.
