In a guest editorial for Reuters, Lanxess CEO Axel Heitmann has described low rolling resistance tires as being a primary focus for the specialty chemicals company. 
“As the fastest growing sector in the tire industry, ‘green tires’ have enormous growth potential and increase globally by around 10% per year. In Asia, demand is currently increasing by as much as 14% annually,” he stated. “Our position is therefore clear: Lanxess will continue to build on its leading position and expand its production capacities, particularly in Asia.”
Heitmann expanded upon the Asian theme by sharing that Lanxess will produce 140,000 tons of Nd-PBR-rubber per annum at a new site in Singapore by 2015.
“In terms of sustainable mobility, this high-performance rubber will be urgently needed: for if all vehicles worldwide were already fitted with ‘green tires,’ then up to 20 billion liters of fuel could be saved and 50 million tons of CO2 emissions prevented each year,” the Lanxess CEO continued. “And not only that – each individual car owner can also benefit from ultra-modern ‘green tires.’ A car owner who drives around 12,500 kilometers per year could save up to 100 euros in fuel costs. The additional investment of 20 to 50 euros per tire, thus, pays off within just two years.”
Heitmann concluded by saying he considers the growth prospects for low rolling resistance tires to be “exceptional on a global scale” due to the implementation of various regulations, such as the European tire label. (Tyres & Accessories)
