Summer eco-tyre test by Auto Motor und Sport — 2025

At the dawn of the automotive industry, tires only needed to be puncture-resistant and have a generally good resource, however, since the 1950s, increasingly high requirements have been imposed on traction, including on wet roads, stability at high speeds, resistance to aquaplaning, noise, and so on, and in recent years, new complex tasks have been set before developers. The spread of electric cars has led to the fact that now tires must have very low rolling resistance to increase the distance between charges, and since electric cars have increased weight, manufacturers increase the wear resistance of their tires, which also reduces harmful emissions particles formed when tires are worn out during driving. Another trend is the expansion of the use of recycled and renewable materials, and during their new test, experts from Auto Motor und Sport decided to check which environmental innovations are already being applied and whether they affect the level of safety.

Six tires were selected, which, according to manufacturers, have environmental advantages. Tires of size 215/55 R17 were tested, suitable for mid-range passenger cars and crossovers, and only models with a rating of not lower than "B" for economy on euro labels were taken.

The list of participants included Continental UltraContact NXT, which the company calls the most environmentally friendly product in its history, the recently introduced Bridgestone Turanza 6, Falken e.Ziex for electric cars and hybrids, time-tested Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 2, as well as Michelin e.Primacy. Although it might seem that the last model, like Falken, was created specifically for electric vehicles, Michelin recently said that in fact this is not the case, and the letter "e" means that the tire only differs in improved energy efficiency. In AMS, they also decided to check whether restored tires can be considered an environmentally friendly and affordable alternative to new tires, so Insa Turbo EcoEvolution from a Spanish company took part in the tests - the only tires of this type that were found in the right size and quantity.

If we talk about the environmental friendliness of the selected tires in more detail, then UltraContact NXT is made using such "green" materials as natural rubber, silica from rice husk ash, recycled PET bottles, etc., and for this reason, the tire receives additional points to the "assessment from the point of view of sustainable development". The delivery routes to Germany are also taken into account, and the shorter they are, the higher the assessment, and since NXT is delivered from Portugal, they were deducted three points due to carbon dioxide emissions that fall on logistics.

In contrast to Continental, the Japanese Bridgestone increased the environmental friendliness of their Turanza 6 tires primarily through increased resource and improved energy efficiency. In turn, Falken e.Ziex contains up to 29% of "green" materials and also has low rolling resistance, and to reduce transportation routes, Sumitomo supplies them not from Japan, but from Turkey.

Goodyear, like Bridgestone, has made their Efficient Grip Performance 2 tires more environmentally friendly due to durability, and it is reported that they can last 50% longer than the model of the previous generation. In addition, energy efficiency has been improved, which was made possible by optimized design and rubber compound, as well as aerodynamic sidewalls.

In Michelin, as is often the case, they go further than others and claim that their German-made e.Primacy tires have a zero carbon footprint at the time of purchase, and during operation, the reduction of harm to the environment is ensured by low rolling resistance and a long service life. As for Insa Turbo EcoEvolution, the process of restoring tires is more environmentally friendly compared to the production of new tires, and products of this category are in demand in the cargo transportation industry, but the question is what level of safety can be provided by passenger tires with an updated tread?

Wet asphalt

The braking distance was measured from 80 km/h, and the best were Continental, Falken, and Goodyear, and the residual speed of the car on Insa Turbo at the point where the test leaders had already stopped the car was 41 km/h, which, of course, is simply unacceptable.

On the circular wet track, the balance of power in general remained the same, although Goodyear was able to overtake Continental and Falken, taking first place.

In the handling test, Goodyear shared first place with Bridgestone, and Continental slightly lagged behind the best tires.

The occurrence of aquaplaning, both longitudinal and transverse, is best resisted by Bridgestone and Goodyear, and the restored tires joined the bottom of the rating this time Falken.

Dry asphalt

In the dry braking test, the residual speed of the car on Insa Turbo was again very high - 40 km/h when stopping from 100 km/h, and Falken took the first place, which also showed the best result in the handling tests.

Ecology

The Michelin tires had the lowest rolling resistance. The restored tires, in turn, lag behind all the participants in the test in terms of economy.

Michelin also turned out to be the quietest, and Insa Turbo make the most noise of all.

Since Continental uses "green" materials, Insa Turbo restores tires, and Michelin has reduced the carbon footprint of its tires to zero by the time of purchase, they all receive the maximum number of points for the most environmentally friendly production.

Although the process of restoring tires reduces the burden on the environment, during operation, Insa Turbo increases fuel consumption by more than 10%.

Test results

The first place was shared by Continental and Falken tires, which, according to the testers, confirmed that environmental friendliness can be combined with a high level of traction and safety. Continental impressed with a good balance of characteristics, and the only minus was a relatively long braking distance on dry asphalt, while Falken also works well in any conditions, but has average resistance to aquaplaning and increased noise.

Bridgestone tires turned out to be not the most comfortable in terms of both shock absorption and noise (both when driving straight and when sliding), but they have a generally high grip, although the braking distance on dry asphalt was not as short as that of the pair of competitors. In turn, Michelin was the best in terms of comfort level, but on wet pavement, they had slightly reduced traction, both longitudinal and transverse, while Goodyear is very effective in rainy weather, but it would be possible to improve the braking qualities on dry asphalt and fuel economy.

As for Insa Turbo, the experts stated that the tires behave unpredictably ("on each wheel, tires of different classes are installed, although they look the same"), and they cannot be called an environmentally friendly option either, since very high rolling resistance leads to a 10% increase in fuel consumption. In addition to everything else, Insa Turbo did not pass the test for strength at high speeds, and it is not recommended to purchase them.

Source: Auto Motor und Sport