Autonomous vehicles encounter high expectations regarding safety and operational consistency across diverse driving environments. A significant challenge lies in ensuring that autonomous systems can adapt to variable road and weather conditions, something that can profoundly impact fleet efficiency and safety.
Studies show that tire health directly impacts not only fuel consumption but also braking distance and handling, making it a critical factor for the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles. In fact, improper tire pressure alone is estimated to account for up to 3% more fuel consumption in standard fleets. That statistic has even more significant consequences for electric vehicle range and fleet costs.
In addition, the autonomous logistics industry is seeing rapid growth. Still, it faces distinct issues related to sensor-based road navigation, such as identifying road hazards and maintaining safety standards in unpredictable environments. Industry reports estimate that autonomous vehicle technologies could reduce logistical expenses by up to 45% through efficiency improvements, but only if vehicles can consistently operate with minimal downtime due to maintenance needs, including tire-related issues.
How significant is this transformation for the industry? The business problem is clear: Companies must adapt to the rapid pace of AI, automation, and digital transformation while managing partnerships and investments that allow them to access essential new technologies without the burden of developing them all in-house. For many corporations, these challenges are immense.
This interview with Goodyear’s CTO, Chris Helsel, explores Goodyear’s approach to partnerships and AI-driven tire intelligence, discussing how these collaborations and technological advances address industry-wide challenges. We’ll also delve into the key takeaways for business leaders looking to manage complex partnerships and stay competitive in a future where mobility, automation, and AI will dominate.
We’ll cover three major lessons from the interview with Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s CTO:
- Leveraging AI for vehicle intelligence through tires: Using real-time data from tires for vehicle safety, efficiency, and performance.
- Embracing the power of strategic partnerships: Driving a collaborative approach gives companies access to a larger pool of resources and knowledge, allowing them to break down traditional silos between departments.
Listen to the full episode below:
Guest: Chris Helsel, CTO at Goodyear
Expertise: Automation, Strategic Partnerships, AI Integration
Brief Recognition: Chris Helsel has spent over 25 years at Goodyear, where he currently serves as Chief Technology Officer, leading innovations in tire intelligence and mobility solutions. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cleveland State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Akron.
Leveraging AI for Vehicle Intelligence Through Tire Sensors
One of the core discussions in the interview is how Goodyear uses AI to enhance tire intelligence, especially for autonomous and electric vehicles. In these new mobility environments, real-time data from tires is crucial for vehicle safety, efficiency, and performance.
For example, autonomous vehicle companies need accurate data about tire wear, surface conditions, and real-time tire health to adjust driving algorithms. This real-time feedback is critical for optimizing vehicle dynamics and ensuring safety.
As Chris explains, “We’ve come out with a whole roadmap on things we’re doing, everything from surface prediction to real-time tire conditions. They use this data in their steering and vehicle dynamics models.”
Chris tells Emerj’s enterprise audience that Goodyear’s focus on AI-driven tire intelligence has implications not just for the performance of individual vehicles but also for the broader industry. Fleets of autonomous trucks, ride-sharing vehicles, and delivery vans need advanced tire data to reduce downtime and prevent accidents. AI systems in these tires can predict when maintenance is required, avoiding costly disruptions.
For business leaders, Helsel makes clear that AI isn’t just a tool for enhancing internal operations or customer service—it can be a powerful enabler for product innovation. Whether in manufacturing, logistics, or retail, integrating AI into your products can unlock new capabilities, drive efficiencies, and enhance your value proposition.
Embracing The Power of Strategic Partnerships
Goodyear is no stranger to innovation, but what makes their approach stand out is its strategic partnerships with startups. In 2020, the company launched a corporate venture fund aimed at supporting early-stage companies that could help advance Goodyear’s innovation goals.
Unlike traditional corporate investments, this fund is designed to fuel mutual learning, enabling Goodyear to offer startups access to world-class testing facilities and vast R&D resources while benefiting from the agility and fresh perspectives that startups bring.
Helsel highlights the importance of these partnerships: “We’re not a lead investor just trying to create some huge financial result,” he says. “We do our due diligence, but it’s really about identifying where we can do great work together and learn how to advance our solutions, such as our tire intelligence, but also offer access to world-class capabilities that many can take advantage of.”
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, strategic partnerships have become invaluable, enabling companies to leverage resources and expertise far beyond their internal capabilities. As Helsel emphasized, collaboration allows companies to “leverage somebody else’s investment in R&D,” making the most of external advancements without shouldering the full cost of innovation themselves.
When working with a partner, it’s not just the dedicated team of engineers on a specific project that adds value but also the “thousands of engineers…sitting behind those five,” whose collective experience and innovation support the project’s success.
This collaborative approach encourages companies to experiment more boldly, knowing they can tap into a much larger pool of knowledge and resources. However, Helsel mentions that to maximize these partnerships, companies must adopt a mindset shift, breaking down traditional barriers and engaging departments like legal as strategic allies rather than gatekeepers. This shift can be challenging, but Helsel believes the reward of access to diverse expertise and enhanced agility makes “the juice…worth the squeeze.”
Goodyear’s collaboration with Gatik, a startup focused on autonomous middle-mile delivery, is a prime example of how these partnerships work. Gatik uses real-time tire condition data from Goodyear to improve its route planning and vehicle dynamics models. In return, Goodyear learns about how autonomous vehicles use tire data, which feeds into the development of their AI-driven tire solutions.
For business leaders, this is a reminder that partnerships can be more than just financial investments—they can be strategic opportunities to innovate faster and access new capabilities that would be costly to develop internally. By collaborating with startups, large corporations can tap into emerging technologies and markets without shouldering the full risk of R&D.
Chris mentions that a recurring challenge in digital transformation projects is managing the complexity that comes with multiple partners, especially when each one brings its own legal, HR, and operational hurdles. When you add AI, automation, and a fleet of partners into the mix, these challenges can seem impossible.
Helsel offers two critical pieces of advice for overcoming this complexity. First, business leaders must believe that partnerships are essential to achieving their innovation goals. He stresses the need to “convince yourself, right in your gut, that working with partners is the only way you’re going to get there. And if I think any, I haven’t run across the CTO yet, who says my problem is corporations trying to give me too much money.”
Without this conviction, the process of managing these partnerships will feel like an unnecessary burden rather than an opportunity.
Second, Helsel emphasizes the importance of breaking down traditional silos between departments like legal and HR. Instead of treating these functions as obstacles to innovation, companies need to involve them early in the partnership process.
Helsel thinks this lesson is invaluable for companies undergoing digital transformation. Rather than viewing the involvement of multiple departments and partners as slowing down progress, successful leaders will see them as integral to driving innovation. By integrating legal, HR, and other support functions from the start, companies can prevent bottlenecks and ensure that everyone is aligned toward the same goals.
