This year French tire maker Michelin started local production of its Primacy LC tire. The tire uses a full silica compound to reduce the tire's rolling resistance and can thus cut the tire's energy consumption by at least 1.4 percent, according to Michelin.

German tire maker Continental Tire Shanghai Co.'s General Manager Klaus Kriepe also says low rolling resistance tires are important to his company in the China market.

"Tires account for approximately 20 percent of the vehicle's fuel consumption, with rolling resistance a key factor in this. Lower rolling resistance results in lower fuel consumption," says Kriepe.

In China, Conti sells its ContiPremiumContact 2 and ContiEcoContact 3, both low resistance tires. Continental does not yet have a local production facility.

Italian tire maker Pirelli Tyre Co. is another tire maker following the trend. Pirelli's China CEO Giuseppe Cattaneo says: "Low rolling resistance tires are now becoming more and more important in China as the government is focusing more and more on the environment."

In March this year, Pirelli launched the Cinturato P7 green tire in Europe. "In the car segment our Cinturato P7 is the first green ultra high performance tire in the market," says Cattaneo. 

He adds that in 2010, Pirelli will launch the Cinturato P7 on selected premium luxury models in China.

The Cinturato P7 ensures lower CO2 emissions of up to 4 gm per kilometer driven, while reducing sound emitted by 30 percent, Pirelli says.

According to company information, Pirelli is also working with China's Shandong University on a tire that has an integrated chip to further lower fuel consumption.