There are many things that we overlook in our daily lives. When we see something every single day, we start to look past it without a second thought. One of those overlooked items is tires. We see them in our driveway, in rush hour traffic on our way to work, and in the grocery store parking lot.
While we see tires everywhere, we don’t really notice them and definitely don’t think about them often. At ECO Green, we think about tires all the time, but we know that not everyone does. So, we put together nine of the most interesting facts we could find about one of the most overlooked essentials in your daily life.
1. Tires Were Originally White
That’s right, the item so fully associated with the color black used to be the opposite. It does make sense when you think about it, though. Tires are made primarily of rubber, a naturally occurring substance with a white coloring. So, when rubber tires were first invented, they were white too. The switch to black came when zinc oxide, known as carbon black, was added as a stabilizing agent. The chemical made tires black, as well as stronger and longer lasting.
2. White Walls Started as a Money Saver
Since tires were originally white and adding carbon black strengthened tires, black tires were more expensive at first. To save money, a tire manufacturer called Vogue Tires released a product that only put zinc oxide on the tire tread rather than the whole thing. This move saved money but also created the white wall effect, which people pay extra for now. So, the trend your buddy thinks makes his car look more expensive is actually the result of some frugal money habits.
3. Sipes
The indented grooves on the tread of your tires actually have a name. They are named after John Sipes. He patented the concept in 1923. These grooves help tire traction in slippery conditions like rain or snow. Sipes worked in a slaughterhouse where things could get rather slippery, and he realized that the grooves in the soles of his shoes stopped him from sliding around. He applied this same idea to tires. So, we have cows to thank for our tires working well in the rain.
4. Tires the Price of Cars
The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, one of the most expensive cars in the world, costs a whopping $2.5 million. It’s no surprise, then, that the tires on this luxury machine come with a hefty price tag. Michelin created an exclusive tire made with a special compound to withstand the heat and resistance caused by the car’s incredible 258 miles per hour top speed. Costing close to $50,000 for a full set, these tires are the most expensive in the world.
5. The Largest Tire Manufacturer in the World Is…
While it may come as an unexpected surprise, the largest tire producer in the world is a toy company. Lego produces over 300 million tires annually, putting the brand at the top of the list of tire manufacturers. That said, their tires are super small and not particularly useful outside of transporting LEGO figures.
In terms of “real tires,” or the ones that go on full-sized cars that drive on the road, Bridgestone tires tend to reign supreme. Although in recent years, Michelin has given the brand a run for its money.
6. A Second Life for Tires
In the United States alone, nearly 300 million tires are disposed of yearly. Over half of these tires are recycled in various different ways. Many are crushed using a heavy-duty industrial shredder or other tire recycle equipment and turned into mulch for gardens, turf beads for soccer fields, water filters, or the soles of shoes. Mostly, tire recycle machines use waste products to make industrial fuel. Notably, recycled tires are also known to make some pretty great swings.
7. Winter Tires and Walnuts
For those who live in snowy areas, winter tires are essential for staying safe on the roads. These tires are made to increase traction on icy, wet, or snowy roads. To help improve tire traction, walnut shells are used in snow tire production. These shells are among the hardest naturally occurring materials in the world, and since it would be too expensive to use diamonds in tires, walnuts will do the trick.
8. Light Up Tires
Whether you are old enough to remember 1961 or not, Goodyear tried to make it a good year for tires. The tire brand developed a light-up tire with built-in incandescent light bulbs to light up the night. Since the bulbs were glass, it’s no surprise that the concept never left the showroom.
9. Check for Your Spare
To make cars more environmentally friendly and ensure they pass emissions checks, car manufacturers have begun leaving out the usual spare tires in new cars. AAA reported that over a quarter of all new cars intentionally leave out a spare tire to shed “unnecessary” weight. So, if you have a newer car and haven’t checked to see if it has a spare tire, it’s a good idea to check now before you end up without one when you need it most.
Over the past hundred years, tires have become an integral part of our lives. The more we know about them and how they impact the world around us, the better choices we can make regarding what we do with them. ECO Green is proud to help make the world a cleaner place to live by providing tire recycling equipment to companies around the world. Tires can be so much more than the wheels that get us from here to there.
