Yokohama Makes a Soccer Play with Oranges

English soccer club Chelsea FC not only has a championship under its belt. It now has its own tire, thanks to team sponsor Yokohama Rubber and a bunch of oranges.

In honor of its five-year sponsorship contract with the 2014/15 Premier League champions, Yokohama Rubber launched a special edition BluEarth-A AE-50 tire emblazoned with the team’s logo. The BluEarth-A EDITION AE50 CHELSEA FC was developed to the highest performance, maneuverability and efficiency standards using two types of silica and Yokohama’s exclusive orange-oil technology. The tire offers a balance between efficiency, grip on wet roads and wear resistance.

Orange oil is a byproduct of the fruit’s peel and is fully renewable. The product is in line with Yokohama’s commitment to increase the proportion of oil-free materials in its tires by 80 percent or more. When combined with natural rubber it offers excellent grip and low rolling resistance, ultimately improving a vehicle’s fuel consumption. Low heat-generation rubber is used alongside orange oil to boost its properties, diminishing energy loss and improving comfort for the vehicle’s driver.

The BluEarth-A EDITION AE50 CHELSEA FC is aerodynamic and designed to lower wind resistance, which makes it more energy efficient. Yokohama Rubber tested the tire using a wind tunnel. The tread is asymmetric to improve overall performance and the interior shoulder includes 3-D drain sipes to counter irregular wear, while the exterior shoulder features wider sipes to provide more stability while turning.