Goodyear tires of petroleum, tries soybean oil instead

Goodyear is currently trialing tires made partially from soybean oil, and so far, they're looking good. They say that the new tires don’t work as well as those made from conventional, fossil-fuel-type oil — they work better. According to a statement from the company, the new tires have a 10 percent longer lifespan because the soybean oil mixes better with silica than the petroleum they’re currently using. If tests continue to yield positive results, the company says the innovation could cut their petroleum use by up to 7 million gallons per year when they start mass-producing soy-based tires around 2015. [Source]