Thanks to World War 2 changing the way we make car tires, synthetic rubber is the primary material used in today’s tires. However, that doesn’t mean that tire manufacturers have stopped innovating. In fact, Goodyear has used a soybean oil compound in its tires since 2017. It might sound like a bizarre concept, but there’s actually a very good reason the company began using soybeans, and why it still does so today.

Goodyear incorporates the soybean blend because it’s more cost-effective than traditional petroleum-based oils used in years past. It’s also more eco-friendly, and in terms of production, it mixes with rubber very easily. Because of this, the soybean oil compound makes for a more efficient process, while also using less energy as well. Soybean oil technology, which is also used to make biodiesel fuel, causes tire tread to become more flexible as the temperature changes. This means that Goodyear tires are designed to have better grip in dry, wet, and even winter, environments.

Goodyear was the first tire manufacturer to utilize a soybean formula and did so with support from the United Soybean Board. At the time, the move was promoted as the company’s effort to develop high-performing tires while also experimenting with non-traditional raw materials. The fact that soybeans are a renewable resource only boosted Goodyear’s positioning.

In 2022, the company manufactured new commercial tires, the Metro Miler G152 and G652, for city transit systems. These tires would replace some of the existing petroleum-based tires. Goodyear maintained that the new additions would still have the same performance as before, while also moving away from the traditional tires used up to that point. That same year, the company also introduced a soybean oil compound in its Endurance WHA waste haul tire.

Goodyear later expanded even further, incorporating the soybean formula across several additional tire lines with some of the best treadwear ratings. This includes the Assurance WeatherReady tires, the Assurance ComfortDrive all-season tires, as well as two Eagle lines. The company used the same technology in its Wrangler Workhorse HT, which is mostly installed on SUVs and light pickup trucks. Goodyear’s widespread use of the compound is actually part of a bigger strategy, as the goal is to produce a fully sustainable-material tire by 2030.

The company appears to be on track for that timeline, as, in 2023, it made a demonstration tire made with 90% sustainable materials. The new tire passed the rounds of internal and external testing, in which it exhibited lower rolling resistance than similar traditional models. This means better efficiency and fuel economy overall.