Page 20 - On The Move - Volume 17, Issue 1

THE OF

Doug Volkert
Strategy & Marketing
NitroFill, LLC
id you ever stop and think that something as small as

Dtire pressure could be having a massive impact on the
environment? The idea itself sounds wild but one focused on the road and, using the NHTSA
data, 220 million of them were driving
look at it and you immediately realize how simple and clear around on underinflated tires. Just how
underinflated those tires are will be one
the science is. for debate but let’s assume that if 1 in
4 tires are “significantly” underinflated
then 25% of the 220 million vehicles
are experiencing a material decrease
NHTSA states that gas mileage can be improved by 3.3% by in mpg and tire life. This leaves us with
keeping tires properly inflated and more recent independent 55 million vehicles in the US each consuming an additional and
studies show mpg improvement beyond 6%. With the average unnecessary 25 – 30 gallons of fuel per year and experiencing
fuel economy in the US hovering around 25 mpg, these a 1 – 1.5 mpg decrease. These same 55 million vehicles are also
numbers may seem insignificant with even the most optimal tire responsible for the premature disposal of a set of tires every 3.5
maintenance yielding a 1.5 mpg increase, but let’s dive a little years, as opposed to every 4.5 years.
deeper.
According to the EPA, burning 30 gallons of gas translates to .267
Much, if not all, of the research and talk around fuel efficiency, metric tons of carbon emission so we can easily calculate that the
as it relates to proper tire inflation, is focused solely on cost carbon offset for underinflated tires in the US at 14.68 million
savings to the consumer. According to the NHTSA, only 19% of metric tons annually! That is roughly the same as powering 2.5
consumers properly check and inflate their tires and a staggering million homes for a year.
1 in 4 tires on the road are significantly underinflated. This means
that underinflation is costing most drivers, on average, about As for the tires, the 55 million vehicles with significantly
$100 annually in lost fuel efficiency. underinflated tires are responsible for the disposal of an
additional 14 million tires every year. The EPA says that about
In addition to poor fuel efficiency, underinflation leads to 80% of tires in the US are recycled in some way which leaves you
sluggish handling, longer stopping distances, and increased with 2.8 million tires unnecessarily taking up what valuable space
stress to tire components. The increased stress leads to uneven is left at landfills.
wear, expedited tire breakdown and ultimately, reduced tire life.
In fact, studies have shown that a properly inflated tire could last The numbers are no doubt staggering, but what does all this mean
up to 30 – 50% longer than its underinflated counterpart. to your dealership? With a recent uptick in EV production by the
OEMs and a more conscientious consumer the time has never
Just like increasing a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, getting more been better educate the customer on the importance of proper
miles out of a set of tires also brings a cost savings value to the tire inflation maintenance. First, customers must be informed
consumer but what has largely been ignored up until now is the that a TPMS in not a substitute for proper tire maintenance.
massive impact underinflation is having on the environment. Second, remind your customers to come in and have their tire
With over 80% of today’s drivers not properly maintaining their pressure checked frequently. Checking tire pressure is the only
tire pressure, they present a massive contribution to both carbon monthly service that is recommended in every service manual
emissions and to our already overburdened landfills. of every vehicle. By implementing a tire inflation maintenance
program at your dealership, you will not only be increasing your
Using some readily available data, we can attempt to quantify just opportunities to increase RO quantity and averages, but you also
how big of an impact underinflation is having on the environment. have a compelling message for customers to do their part in
In 2017 there were approximately 272 million registered vehicles helping the environment.

18 www.maada.com