More and more municipalities are setting aside money to install so-called smart tire pumps. They know exactly what the optimal tire pressure of your car is, so that you can save as much fuel as possible.
About 60 percent of Dutch motorists drive with tires that are too soft, according to research† That’s partly because they don’t know exactly what the optimal tire pressure is for their car. Soft tires mean more resistance. With more resistance, the engine has to work harder to reach the same speed, resulting in unnecessary extra fuel consumption.
Tire pressure that is too low also leads to additional emissions of CO2 and particulate matter. Even if you drive electrically, because you then spend less time with a battery charge. But a longer braking distance also costs the motorist an unnecessary amount of money in fuel and tire wear. If you turn it around and express it in money: an optimal tire pressure normally saves motorists about 100 euros per year. Due to the sharp rise in fuel prices, this is probably much more now.
25,000 tons of CO2
More and more provinces are setting aside money to install a smart tire pump. It saves tens of thousands of tons of CO2 emissions, improves air quality and is safer. The goal of the municipality of Gelderland, for example, is that at least one pump is installed in every municipality. That is why the province pays together with the foundation Tire on Tension part of the costs. This means that with a municipal contribution of only 2500 euros, a smart tire pump can be installed. Motorists can use the pump free of charge for five years.
How does it work?
The smart tire pump was developed by Band op Spanning. This pump works entirely on solar energy from its own solar panel. Due to the air pumps that can now be found at gas stations, motorists often still drive away with a voltage that is too low. Software in the smart tire pump does ensure the optimum tire pressure. The pumps are placed in frequently visited locations such as hardware stores, supermarkets and sports complexes.
Users can inflate their car tires in these places free of charge for five years and find the correct pressure via a simple button panel, even based on the license plate. After use, the measurement and saving on fuel and money are shown. According to the Band op Spanning foundation, a visit once every three months is sufficient to save fuel optimally. An overview of the places where smart pumps are already located in the Netherlands, find you here.
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