"The eco-focused dB Super E-spec mixes sustainable orange oil and natural rubber to drastically cut the use of petroleum, without compromising performance," said Dan King, Yokohama vice president of sales. "It also helps consumers save money at the gas pump by improving fuel efficiency via a 20-percent reduction in rolling resistance. With these innovations, the dB Super E-spec could very well be the most technologically-advanced tire ever produced."

Added Mark Chung, Yokohama director, corporate strategy and planning, "The dB Super E-spec and orange oil technology fit match our overall company mandate to produce world-class products while protecting the environment. Every gallon of gas saved by the tire means 20 fewer pounds of CO2 released into the atmosphere, and because the dB Super E-spec is made from natural elements, most of its material is derived from renewable resources. No other tire on the market comes close to offering these environmental benefits along with superior performance."

"The idea of combining oil from orange peels with natural rubber was originally conceived by our racing engineers," said Chung. "The same orange oil technology, which improves a tire’s grip, can be seen today with our ADVAN® ENV-R1TM racing tire on Porsche GT3 Cup cars. The ENV-R1 (the official spec tire of the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama) is the first environmentally-sensitive race tire used in a motorsports series."

The dB Super E-spec, which won Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice Award at the 2008 SEMA trade show, will initially be available in four sizes: 185/65R15 88H, 195/65R15 91H, 195/55R16 86V and 215/60R16 95V – which fit popular hybrids and other vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid/Civic GX NGV, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Nissan Versa and VW Golf.