Green Power at SEMA Show - Yokohama Tire Corporation Highlights

LAS VEGAS, NEV.; From zero-emissions manufacturing facilities to tire-making technologies that increase tread life, to the ecology-based social Web site ecotreadsetters.com , Yokohama Tire Corporation has been at the forefront of the environmental movement for years. Taking its “Green Initiative” even further, Yokohama will feature the all-electric 2008 Tesla Roadster sports car in its booth (#40709) at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Yokohama has partnered with Tesla Motors, providing ultra-high-performance ADVAN Neova AD07™ LTS tires as standard equipment on the 2008 Tesla Roadster, with a 0-60 time of 4 seconds and capable of speeds over 135 mph. It will be part of Yokohama’s environmental theme at the internationally known trade show. Yokohama will also display a turbo bio-diesel Dakar Rally Toyota Land Cruiser fitted with Geolandar A/T-S® tires. Additionally, Yokohama will feature its all-new consumer passenger tire, the Super E-Spec™, an environmentally friendly tire that combines citrus oil with natural rubber to form a new compound called “Super Nano Power Rubber (SNPR).” It greatly reduces the use of petroleum products in tires.

“Partnering with Tesla on the electric Roadster is in line with Yokohama’s corporate mandate, which is to reduce its environmental impact in every way possible,” said Jim MacMaster, Yokohama executive vice president, Business Division. “It’s a way of thinking, an environmental conscience.”

“Using Yokohama’s ADVAN tires on the Tesla Roadster was an easy decision,” said Martin Eberhard, president of technology and co-founder of Tesla Motors. “ADVANs are the only tires on the market that combine high-performance capability with low rolling resistance, making them perfect for our electric sports car.”

The ADVAN Neova AD07® LTS is made with Yokohama’s patented MS compound. The tire’s composition and unique tread design offer high grip and stability in hot, cold and wet conditions.

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global producer and distributor of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation offers a complete line of tires, including high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, as well as off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com . For details on Yokohama’s environmental efforts, go to www.ecotreadsetters.com .

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Taking Care of Your Tires” section at www.yokohamatire.com .