Car Tire (standard passenger)

Standard passenger car tires represent one of the most carbon-intensive automotive components, with environmental impacts heavily concentrated in their operational lifetime rather than production. These rubber products undergo complex manufacturing processes involving multiple synthetic and natural materials before contributing to vehicle fuel consumption throughout their service life.

Material Composition Assumptions

A typical passenger tire weighing approximately 10 kilograms contains the following material breakdown:

• Synthetic rubber: 2,417 grams (24.17%)
• Carbon black: 1,900 grams (19%)
• Natural rubber: 1,821 grams (18.21%)
• Coated steel wires: 1,140 grams (11.4%)
• Precipitated silica: 965 grams (9.65%)
• Mineral oil: 612 grams (6.12%)
• Textiles: 470 grams (4.7%)
• Zinc oxide: 158 grams (1.58%)
• Sulfur: 128 grams (1.28%)
• Stearic acid: 96 grams (0.96%)
• Recycled rubber: 50 grams (0.5%)

This composition reflects modern radial tire construction where synthetic rubber compounds provide the primary structural matrix, while carbon black serves as a reinforcing filler to enhance durability and performance characteristics.

Manufacturing Geography

China dominates global tire production, accounting for the largest share of passenger tire manufacturing worldwide. The country’s extensive rubber processing infrastructure, proximity to raw material suppliers, and established automotive supply chains make it the primary manufacturing hub. Chinese facilities typically operate on a grid intensity of 555 gCO2 per kilowatt-hour, reflecting the nation’s coal-heavy electricity generation mix. This relatively high carbon intensity significantly influences the manufacturing footprint of tires produced in Chinese facilities compared to regions with cleaner energy sources.

Regional Variation

Manufacturing Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated CCI Score	Adjustment vs Default
China	555 gCO2/kWh	72	Baseline
European Union	275 gCO2/kWh	68	-5.6%
United States	385 gCO2/kWh	70	-2.8%
India	650 gCO2/kWh	75	+4.2%
Japan	320 gCO2/kWh	69	-4.2%

Provenance Override Guidance

Suppliers can submit the following data types to override the default CCI score with product-specific information:

1. Detailed material composition data specifying exact percentages and sources of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, carbon black, and steel components used in tire construction.

2. Manufacturing facility energy consumption records including electricity usage, fuel consumption, and local grid emission factors for the specific production location.

3. Transportation documentation covering distances and modes for raw material delivery to manufacturing sites and finished tire distribution to market destinations.

4. Rolling resistance coefficients and fuel consumption impact data validated through standardized testing protocols to quantify use-phase environmental performance.

5. End-of-life processing agreements demonstrating actual tire recycling, energy recovery, or disposal methods rather than regional average assumptions.

Methodology Notes

• The CCI score represents cradle-to-grave emissions including material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use phase fuel consumption impacts, and end-of-life processing over a typical 50,000-kilometer service life.

• Scope 3 dominance reflects tire influence on vehicle fuel efficiency throughout operational lifetime, with rolling resistance directly affecting combustion engine energy requirements.

• The functional unit assumes standard passenger vehicle application under typical driving conditions with average fuel consumption attribution methodologies.

• Infrastructure impacts from tire manufacturing facilities and tire recycling plant construction are excluded from the assessment boundary.

• Significant data gaps exist regarding regional variations in tire compound formulations, manufacturing process efficiency, and actual end-of-life processing rates across global markets.