A new tire aimed at bus fleets has been launched by Goodyear. The UrbanMax MCA HL+ has been designed to help fleet operators maximize efficiency while preparing for the gradual electrification and automation of the industry.
“Bus operators are under increasing pressure to meet environmental targets while adapting to changing trends in urban mobility,” commented Goodyear’s commercial marketing director for Europe, Maciej Szymanski. “Our aim is to support bus fleet managers in lowering the carbon footprint by driving energy efficiency with low-emission tires as well as smart tire monitoring systems.”
The latest MCA HL+ is based on the design of Goodyear’s previous UrbanMax MCA, but features updates to reduce energy consumption and to support the additional weight of electric vehicle batteries. Furthermore, to reduce CO2 and noise emissions, the tire maker has introduced a new tread compound that also features an optimized rib layout to ensure even contact pressure distribution, shoulder robustness and stress reduction. The low hysteresis tread helps to reduce heat build-up and provides high levels of traction in poor weather.
Released as an all-position tire, the UrbanMax MCA HL+ has a high-load structure enabling an 8-ton axle load capacity – a requirement for modern hybrid and electric buses. Goodyear’s incorporated Interlaced Strip Technology ensures less deformation in the tire’s carcass and creates uniform pressure distribution. Flexomatic sipes in the center ribs are supported by block edge siping to improve braking. Additionally, the Flexomatic sipes close when rolling so that the tread blocks interlock, making the tread stiffer and more robust.
“The UrbanMax MCA is known for its high mileage potential, traction and all-weather grip performance, which are required in demanding urban environments,” continued Szymanski. “The new UrbanMax MCA HL+ size offers lower rolling resistance to enhance energy and fuel efficiency as well as an increased load capacity, further supporting range extension for electric buses.”
With buses often coming into contact with curbs, potholes and speed humps in urban areas, Goodyear designed the tire with a reinforced sidewall to minimize vehicle downtime. Wear indicators also give a visual representation of how much of the protective layer remains; the tire can then be reversed to extend service life.
The UrbanMax MCA HL+ benefits from the 3PMSF sidewall marking, representing its capability on snow and ice. Integrated RFID tags enable tire identification and connectivity with tire management and tracking systems and the full range is also compatible with Goodyear’s retreading program.
