ICM - Leeds Design Agency

At Sebring International Speedway the recent Patron GT3 Challenge Porsches burned orange-infused rubber, and the same eco-friendly(er) tyres could be adorning the wheels of regular vehicles within a couple of months.

Yokohama says the Advan ENV-R1 tyre combines natural rubber with oil extracted from orange peels in a tyre that requires 10% less petroleum than conventional racing rubber. It works so well Yokohama says we can expect to see road-going versions for green cars such as the Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and eco-friendly vehicles by June.

Tyre manufacturers have been experimenting with petroleum substitutes for a number of years, and several major firms are searching for eco-friendlier alternatives. Yokohama first experimented with orange-infused rubber in the ’80s and recently accelerated development of the technology as part of the company’s global environment strategy.

Mark Chung, director of Yokohama corporate strategy and planning says “This is not a novelty item, and we are not trying to green-wash our product, we are making a better all-around tyre for the consumer and the environment, and the best place to test that tyre is on the race track.”

Yokohama uses typical Japanese-speak to call this technology “Super Nano-Power Rubber” and says it performs as well as a conventional race tyre and because it contains a higher percentage of natural products it’s easier to recycle.

The Super Nano-Power softens the natural rubber and increases grip on the tyre. Yokohama have tested a lot of natural products, bizzarely including spider silk, and found that orange oil works best because it has a molecular structure similar to natural rubber.

I find it exciting that such a large manufacturer is investing huge amounts in new solutions to age-old problems. Although to-date there’s no news on whether the tyres smell (or taste) any bett…

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On the brink of another season in Formula One, this viral is timed to perfection and is working it’s way around the internet as we speak. It’s a fantastic example of viral marketing, it leaves you guessing and in a state of amazement that you simply have to share the experience with others (which is exactly what I’m doing here), well done to the creato…

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Originally cars were designed for speed and high performance, the most beautiful designs reflecting either the power of the vehicle or its ability to go very fast. In Japan, overcrowded roads and their reliance on imported oil has created a new challenge for their car industry. The Science Museum’s exhibition, Japan Car, is a fantastic insight into the future of cars.

All the cars are limited in size and known as a “mobile cell”. Some of the cars run on electricity alone or a mixture of electricity and petrol. One of the cars runs on hydrogen. Our own reliance in the UK on the oil industry has meant that this technology is being largely ignored. Let’s just hope that these designs are going to be a part of our near future.

This crazy car is a little bit like an advanced grannymobile, it can travel on the road with cars or on the pavement. I think I might be a little embarrassed in one of these!

More pictures can be found at Flickr.

This amazing video illustrates Japan’s journey and its historical background – the mountainous interior and the cities that surround it.