Under-inflated car tyres cost drivers £440m

British motorists are paying £440m in unnecessary fuel bills each year because they fail to keep their car tyres properly inflated, according to research by Michelin.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Everyone wants to save money, but of greater concern incorrectly inflated tyres in Britain result in around 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.”

Cleaner, cheaper driving

Correctly inflated tyres last longer, provide better road handling and improve fuel efficiency by around 2 per cent. Whilst the saving in fuel costs each month for the average driver is modest, it is estimated that underinflated tyres lead to an unecessary 12 megatonnes of global CO₂ emissions every year.

A new EU law may mean the next car you buy will automatically let you know when its tyres need inflating. Car tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) send a signal to the car’s dashboard if the pressure falls below the correct level.

Car tyre innovations

American company MAXAIR has developed an Automatic Tyre Monitoring and Inflation (ATMI) system that continually checks tyre pressures and uses an on-board compressor to add air if needed. In the case of a slow puncture, the ATMI system can send a constant stream of air to the tyre. The company is in talks with car makers about putting it into production.

Tyre manufacturer Goodyear hopes to dramatically reduce the 26 litres of oil it takes to make the average car tyre by introducing a new plant-derived substance called BioIsoprene, which can be made from renewable sources such as sugar cane.

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