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Tomorrow’s market leaders will be the tire manufacturers who are able to overcome the challenges of long-term in-use tire performance while optimizing the costs. To accomplish this, it’s important to design a tire, therefore its innerliner, that maintains proper inflation pressure utilizing materials that demonstrate proven air retention performance.

Precious pressure. While driving a car, optimal pressure of the tires is crucial for ensuring the traveler’s safety and improved tire life. For the end users, tire life is important as it leads to lower cost-per-mile driven and less tire maintenance. What’s more, keeping the tire’s pressure at its best state leads to consistent in-use rolling resistance. This is valid for both Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and EVs, respectively to mitigate fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emissions and enable longer vehicle battery range. With the right halobutyl grade, the tire air retention of your vehicle will be improved, making a substantive enhancement in in-use rolling resistance - which remains consistent - durability and overall tire performance.

Better tire performance starts with optimal innerliner air retention. Conventional innerliner compounds include bromobutyl and chlorobutyl polymers. By designing effective innerliner systems, air loss and therefore “in-use” rolling resistance, can be minimized. This allows for better fuel efficiency - which is directly connected with CO2 emissions – and longer lasting battery range to be achieved.

Count on us, anytime. ExxonMobil provides top-notch rubber solutions for tire innerliner systems, while ensuring on-time, premium quality products delivery all year long, as well as readily-available support and technical expertise anywhere in the world.

Keeping the air inside. Why?

Air loss impacts vehicle handling, braking, safety, fuel economy, and tire life. Low tire pressure is costly, unsafe and not fuel-efficient: The solution is to maintain the air inside the tire while “in-use” for optimum performance.

Today, transportation accounts for about 25 percent of global energy related CO2 emissions. As more people around the world gain access to personal mobility, meeting the demand for lower-emission fuels solutions will be essential for a lower GHG emission future. Air that stays inside the tire can help. The Inflation Pressure Loss Rate (IPLR) test is a standard method to determine the rate at which the tire will lose pressure. Low IPLR means good air retention, which helps keep the original tire performance and improve vehicle handling. As the mobility sector shifts to more electric and autonomous drive systems, air retention becomes more important than ever.

Exxon™ butyl rubber is the top-notch solution for designing efficient innerliner compounds that will allow you to optimize the driving range of EVs, as well as the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of ICE vehicles.

Which layer is key to keeping the air in the tire?

How can air increase an Electric Vehicle’s range?
The passenger fleet is evolving beyond private-owned Internal Combustion-Engine vehicles. Electric vehicles are heavier, create greater torque and are more demanding on tires. What’s more, with longer maintenance intervals anticipated, air pressure will be checked and adjusted less frequently. This requires tire manufacturers to build a stronger, more durable product, addressing the needs of long-lasting performance, durability and energy efficiency.

Weight matters.
The batteries that power electric vehicles weigh more than gas-powered engines. This added weight bears heavily on the tires, resulting in high energy consumption and decreased vehicle range.

Optimal air pressure -> low rolling resistance = maximum EV battery range
Good air retention means low Inflation Pressure Loss Rate (IPLR), which measures the air a tire loses per month and, when it comes to innerliners, it varies widely depending on the compound composition and gauge. The lower, the better. Low IPLR can minimize the “in-use” rolling resistance and maximize the EV driving range. This can be achieved by designing efficient innerliner compounds with Exxon™ halobutyl rubber.

Oppera™ Resins: Empowering Tire Compound Designers with Advanced Performance Benefits

The Tire is the most complex composite in mass production, most complex component on a vehicle. Oppera ™ versus other additives improves compound properties, enables more flexibility and efficiency in compound development. Oppera™ provides a good balance between Tread Wear , Rolling Resistance, and Wet Traction.
Key benefits
Enhanced Wet Traction

Safety is improved for all-season tires by boosting traction on wet surfaces.

Lower Rolling Resistance

In HPT applications, Oppera resins reduce rolling resistance, contributing to improved fuel efficiency for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and extended range for electric vehicles (EVs).
All-season tires benefit from customizable rolling resistance through various resin grades.

Improved Wear Resistance

By increasing the compound’s storage modulus (G’), Oppera resins help minimize irregular wear and enhance cornering stability.
Optimized tread wear resistance leads to longer-lasting tires.

All-Weather Performance

Consistent performance across conditions: Reduced irregular wear supports reliable traction in wet and winter environments.
Winter-specific solutions: Oppera PR373 and PR383 are engineered to enhance ice and snow grip in winter tire formulations.

Learn more:

Video center

Evolving trends in fleet efficiency lead back to the basics of tire pressure

As governments are looking at how to improve the efficiency of the fleet, with the advancements in electric vehicles and alternative drive trains, first of its kind tests on EV’s tires air retention (over a longer period of time) demonstrated benefit for tire life.

How do properly inflated tires affect energy consumption in EV’s?

Ever wonder if the value of having properly inflated tires has a critical impact on range, energy consumption and tread wear?

Real road tests for EV tires inflation pressure

Join us as we test electric vehicles, to show the effect of tire pressure in a real-world scenario.

How can halobutyl content in tire innerliner impact air retention, tire life and battery range?

There is a simple technology to improve the range of the vehicle and reduce energy consumption of the battery.

It All Makes a Difference

When it comes to driving, all it takes is a split second and everything can change - your morning commute, your weekend plans. Maintaining the air pressure in your tires can make a big difference.

Properly inflated tires make all the difference

There are several indicators of tire health you should watch for, and the ability for your tire to hold air inside is a key difference.

Which transportation sector emits the most CO2 emissions?

Environmental pressure and fuel efficiency demands force the automotive industry to work to decrease CO2 emissions continuously.

Tire air retention matters for battery EV range

Inflation Pressure Loss Rate (IPLR). IPLR measures the percentage of the air the tire loses per month. Did you know the higher the IPLR, the more energy a vehicle consumes?

Over time tire air retention matters for in-use rolling resistance

When it comes to reducing the CO2 emissions for road transportation, tire pressure over time is a key factor.

USA: The mathematics of CO2 emissions savings with properly inflated tires

Did you know that a significant amount of CO2 emissions can potentially be saved just by having properly inflated tires? Let’s look at the math.

Related products & solutions

Butyl

With more than 80 years of experience, we produce butyl rubber to make it possible for key industries, such as tire manufacturing, automotive, and pharmaceutical to adapt quickly to the changes of today's needs and future challenges.

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Polymer modifiers

Choose ExxonMobil’s polymer modifiers for improved performance and increased production efficiency of films, compounds, nonwovens and molded/extruded products.

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EV question corner

If you’ve got questions about the impact of electric vehicles (EV) on the automotive industry, you’re not alone. The global growth of EVs has created new challenges throughout the tire and vehicle industries. That’s why ExxonMobil has undertaken significant testing to better understand how air retention affects EV tire performance. Combining these test results with more than 80 years of experience in the industry, our scientists and engineers can provide well-informed answers to the common questions we’re all facing today within a changing mobility marketplace.

Does tire inflation affect the battery range of electric cars?

Yes, tire inflation does affect battery range. In fact, dissipated energy due to rolling resistance is 4 times greater for electric cars than for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. To measure this impact, ExxonMobil performed in-depth, in-use tests and determined that proper air pressure can extend battery range by 3 to 7%. Because an electric car has a much more efficient powertrain, any losses induced by underinflated tires will probably have a bigger impact on the energy efficiency of the vehicle and, therefore, on the range of its battery.

Are electric cars harder on tires? Will I need to replace my tires more often?

Electric cars definitely are tougher on tires. They’re heavier – typically +300 kg/650 pounds heavier – than cars with internal combustion engines, due to the large battery. They also deliver 100% torque from standstill. These factors increase stress, which can shorten tire life. That’s why air retention is even more important for tires on electric cars. Under-inflation can reduce tire lifespan on any type of vehicle by as much as 45%.

Are tires for electric cars more expensive?

Electric cars don’t typically require special tires. That said, high-performance tires, which can be more expensive, are more able to handle the added stress and demands of electric cars. Tires made with haloybutyl innerliners, which increase air retention, will last longer and perform better.

How does tire pressure affect electric vehicle energy efficiency?

Underinflated tires require extra energy to roll. Why? Rolling resistance. Rolling resistance is the energy your vehicle needs to send to your tires to maintain movement at a consistent speed over a surface. The more rubber that meets the road, the more resistance. Dissipated energy due to rolling resistance is four times greater for electric vehicles. That’s why improved air retention is key to maintaining efficiency and performance gains in electric cars.

Why is air retention so important for electric vehicle tires?

Electric cars put greater stress on tires. That’s why tire air retention is especially important for electric cars. ExxonMobil on-road EV tests show 5 to 17% reduction in tire life, depending on air loss rate and maintenance, as well as 3 to 7% reduction in battery range. It’s clear that EV tires need improved air retention to maintain consistent in-use performance over the life of the tire.

Do the longer maintenance intervals typical of electric cars affect tire performance?

No doubt about it – longer maintenance intervals make air retention more important for electric car tires. An electric car typically only needs maintenance once per year – no oil changes – but tires lose air pressure every day. In fact, they lose an average of 4.8% per month in use. That means 44.26% air loss in one year! So electric car tires need to retain tire pressure for longer periods of time. Higher quality tires that include halobutyl innerliners can minimize air loss to help maintain optimal tire pressure.

Are there governmental standards regulating tire pressure to maximize the energy efficiency of electric vehicles?

There are no legal standards right now to institute a maximum monthly air loss rate of 1.8%, but OEMs are pushing and regulators are aware of the impact. Creating a standard is the simplest and most direct way to improve tire efficiency today without any additional impact to tire performance. Inflation Pressure Loss Rate (IPLR) measures the percentage of air loss per month and varies widely depending on the composition and gauge of tire innerliners. Creating a standard IPLR will help boost the energy savings created by electric cars. A well-known solution to improving air retention is to increase the halobutyl content in the tire innerliner.

Will a vehicle’s tire pressure monitoring system (TMPS) help with tire air retention?

It’s a common misconception that a vehicle’s TPMS prevents or eliminates under-inflation. It doesn’t. The system is primarily intended to prevent catastrophic failures when there is a major loss of pressure. TPMS warning lights are typically set at -25% US and AP, -20% EU, which is well below the level at which tire performance is harmed. It is useful as a reminder to check tires, but it has no capacity to actually help tires retain air. In fact, car owners might even be checking their tires less frequently because they assume there is nothing wrong unless the TPMS warning light activates. Even on cars that have a TMPS, drivers should continue to check the tire pressure at least once a month.

Does tire inflation impact safety for electric cars?

Maintaining proper tire inflation is more of a safety issue with electric cars because their heavier weight and maximum torque create handling and traction challenges. Properly inflated tires help improve handling and traction for more secure driving and braking and passenger safety. Industry data shows that properly inflated tires can improve braking distance by as much as 7%.

What factors most affect a tire's air retention?

There are three main factors that affect tire air retention: innerliner permeability, thickness and liner endpoint. Tire manufacturers want as little permeability as possible, which is affected mainly by polymer type and content. Next, air retention is directly proportional to innerliner thickness. The thicker, the better. Thin spots also decrease air retention. Finally, air retention is best when the liner ending is located outside the rim. Because halobutyl rubber delivers advanced air-barrier technology, it maximizes performance in these three critical areas.

What should I ask my tire manufacturer about my electric car’s tires?

Find out if the tires are made with quality halobutyl innerliners, which are capable of improving air retention through advanced air-barrier technology. The ability of a tire to hold pressure over time affects all other tire performance attributes. ExxonMobil in-use road testing demonstrates that proper air retention can extend an electric car’s tire life by up to 17%. When buying tires, always ask, “How well do these tires hold air?”

Has testing been done connecting tire performance and electric cars?

In a first-of-its-kind study, ExxonMobil engineers conducted real-world, on-road tests in Texas to measure the impact of tire air loss on energy consumption and vehicle range in electric cars. The study followed three identical electric cars, each with a different air-loss rate. Each car traveled more than 5,400 miles in a range of environments. The data shows that air loss, depending on rate and maintenance, can reduce tire life by 5 to 17%. Air loss can reduce battery range by 3 to 7%.