LanXess premieres AA-rated concept tyre

Specialty chemicals company, LanXess, has unveiled one of the world’s first AA-rated tyres under new EU labelling regulations.

The LanXess AA concept tyre is among the first to be presented that would earn a double-A rating under the new labeling regulations that go into effect in November in the European Union.

“We believed that creating our own concept tyre was essential to developing a thorough command of our high-tech solutions and their significance to the finished product,” said Dr. Joachim Grub, Head of the Performance Butadiene Rubbers business unit at LanXess. “We are now moving from the age of tyre design to the age of tyre materials, which will make the difference in performance.”

LanXess states its AA concept tyre enables it to offer materials that have already been subject to rigorous testing – allowing customers to bring new tyres to market faster and strengthen their competitive position. More specifically, with this concept tyre, LanXess intends to demonstrate the importance of its neodymium-based performance butadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) to increase durability, especially in AA-rated tyres. Although durability will not be rated on the new EU tyre labels, it will be key differentiation criteria among top-ranked tyres.

November 2012 will see the launch of mandatory tyre labeling in the European Union (EU). Tyres will be graded from A to G according to their fuel efficiency and wet grip. Rolling noise is also measured. Therefore, the new legislation provides more transparency for consumers by highlighting the added value of “green tyres”.