Toyo Tires presented Sustainable Concept Tire with 90% renewable and recycled materials

Toyo Tires is exhibiting a concept tire that uses 90% sustainable materials at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2024.

On January 12, at the Tokyo Auto salon, Toyo Tires presented its Sustainable Concept Tire. The tire, using 90% sustainable materials is a step forward towards a more viable future mobility. Among the raw materials necessary to commercialize tires, materials that are recognized to contribute to reducing environmental impact. Until now, the highest ever usage rate of sustainable materials in one of our tires was 50%. This latest development was made in the Open Country tires used in the 2024 Dakar Rallye.

Photo by Toyo Tires.

Sustainable materials can be broadly divided into "renewable materials" that can be recycled, such as naturally derived materials, and "recycled materials" that are reused from materials that have already been used in some way. This concept tire uses renewable materials such as biomass-derived butadiene rubber, biomass-derived styrene-butadiene rubber, rice husk ash silica, plant-derived oil, and bio-derived polyester fiber (approximately 60% of the total), and recycled materials. We use CO2-derived butadiene rubber, which was successfully developed jointly with Toyama University in Japan, as well as recovered carbon black, recycled bead wire, and recycled steel cord (approximately 30% of the total).

The goal is to achieve a usage rate of 40% in 2030 and 100% in 2050. This concept tire is a development product that serves as a stepping stone to that goal. This tire minimizes the rolling resistance coefficient, which greatly contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the tire lifecycle and improving the cruising range of Evs. According to Toyo Tires, the tire acheives the highest grade for rolling resistance in the Japanese tire labeling system. In the future, Toyo Tires is planning to advance further technological innovations toward practical application, developing and marketing products that will contribute to the realisation of a sustainable mobility society.

Press release by Toyo Tires.