As a long-standing leader in tire management for racing teams as well as truck and aviation fleets, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is leveraging its experience in a collaboration with the semi-autonomous electric vehicle fleet of Tesloop.
The American corporation is providing innovative tire management services, ensuring uninterrupted mobility for the modern carrier’s vehicles. Goodyear will equip Tesloop’s vehicles—which provide intercity transport services—with wireless sensors placed inside the tires, which will help better manage tires and minimize downtime for the growing fleet. Interestingly, the California-based carrier uses exclusively electric Tesla cars.
– As a new mobility model takes shape, we are taking action to keep pace with technological changes in the transport industry and develop tire innovations that meet the intelligence of vehicles. We want to shape the future, not just observe it or read about it – said Chris Helsel, Chief Technology Officer at Goodyear.
As part of the collaboration with Tesloop, Goodyear is extending its fleet mobility solutions to passenger cars. Thus, the American corporation will provide the autonomous fleet with tire service and repair during charging at stations, as part of regularly scheduled downtime. The system’s operating principle is intuitive. Wireless sensors constantly measure and record tire temperature and pressure. The collected data is then sent to the vehicle’s onboard computer, and from there, via the cloud, it is transmitted to a special system developed by Goodyear and subjected to analysis. This allows for the precise identification and resolution of potential tire-related and safety issues before a failure occurs, which guarantees higher fleet efficiency.
– When a fleet operates almost around the clock, 365 days a year, minimizing tire issues is crucial for maintaining a high level of customer service and executing our business model – said Rahul Sonnad, CEO of Tesloop. – Data-driven tire diagnostics offer incredible opportunities and help companies like Tesloop operate more effectively and provide our vehicles with an even higher level of safety on the road.
The Tesloop fleet consists of Tesla cars that cover an average of 27,000 kilometers per month. The vehicle with the highest mileage in the fleet—a Tesla Model S, in operation since 2015—recently crossed the 480,000-kilometer (300,000-mile) mark. The essence of the collaboration between Goodyear and Tesloop, inaugurated in January 2017, is research into the impact of autonomous technologies on tires.
The starting point for the cooperation between the two companies was the market-successful Goodyear Proactive Solutions program dedicated to truck fleets. Based on advanced telematics and predictive-analytical technology solutions, the system allows fleet operators to optimize fuel consumption and precisely identify and anticipate tire-related problems. In addition to providing fleet management services, Goodyear also collaborates with car manufacturers on solutions that transmit information about tire condition to vehicle control systems to enhance safety and performance.
– Goodyear is conquering new areas by combining fleet management expertise with smart products and an extensive service network, providing complete solutions for the future of automotive – added Helsel.