In a licensing deal with FDP Virginia, Goodyear has announced that it will introduce a full line of premium brakes and components.
Goodyear Brakes says it was created to address a “critical need” in the automotive aftermarket for a “trusted brand of high-quality brake pads and bundles which are backed by a national warranty, decades of production experience and one of the best-known names in automotive excellence”.
“There is a tremendous opportunity for a trusted brand of braking components in the market today,” said Wally McCarty, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Goodyear Brakes. “While OEM braking systems have improved and advanced, [advanced] driver-assistance systems (ADAS) have reduced extreme brake wear and increased the brakes’ lifespan. There are very few well-known brand names in the brake category, so this makes it difficult for consumers to determine what are premium quality brake system components and fair prices when replacing brakes on their vehicle.”
The company says it will help ensure that drivers select the safest solution for their vehicle. Premium quality brake bundles, callipers, rotors, brake pads and all the hardware for today’s most popular vehicles, from daily drivers to SUVs as well as light trucks, are now manufactured by Goodyear Brakes.
“The Goodyear Brakes mission is to provide the most trusted brand of braking components that make your vehicle as safe as possible,” said Bob Bouwma, Director of Engineering and Advanced Technologies at Goodyear Brakes. “Our team of engineers and scientists work every day to improve the quality, performance and durability of each set of brakes we provide. Using the most advanced technology available in friction science today, the brake bundles are designed to be safe, quiet and long lasting.”
Goodyear Brakes will initially operate in the USA, selling its products through its website. The company says the portal is designed to give consumers a direct channel to identify their braking system needs using their VIN and licence plate information, before ordering all the components online. The website also provides expert advice, “How To” videos and proper guidance for brake maintenance and replacement projects.
Goodyear Brakes will also be available from Amazon and CARid.
Aftermarket demand for brake systems and components in North America is forecast to advance 2.6 per cent per annum to $4.3 billion by 2021, according to research by the Freedonia Group. More than 90 per cent of the brake pad market is private label products.
Goodyear Brakes are being offered through a licensing collaboration with Goodyear, with the brake pads being manufactured in the USA using a “proprietary green production process by a company with more than 50 years of experience in friction science”. The rotors are made to OEM standards by OEM-approved manufacturers around the world. Callipers are remanufactured in North America, and according to Goodyear, most of that manufacturing process has returned to the United States, bringing manufacturing jobs back to the American economy.
The company says its brakes product line was developed through decades of friction science experience, advanced engineering and thorough laboratory and on-road testing. Testing was performed at the company’s labs in Virginia, and third-party testing was conducted by Link Engineering Company (LINK) in Detroit. Testing included dynamometer tests, independent laboratory tests, environmental tests and certification, analytical tests, vehicle traffic tests and performance vehicle tests.