Australian couple breaks record by more than 9 miles per gallon

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In an impressive display of fuel economy, two drivers from Australia have broken the "48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record," driving a car equipped with Goodyear (NYSE: GT) Assurance Fuel Max tires. This three-week, 9,000+ mile drive through all 48 contiguous states in the U.S., showcased the potential fuel savings from the breakthrough fuel-efficient tread compound found in the new tires.

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Helen and John Taylor had set the previous record in 2008 with a mark of 58.82 miles per gallon (MPG). With the just-completed journey, the Taylors achieved a significant improvement in fuel economy with a strong final MPG average of 67.90.

"While our own testing shows just how fuel-efficient these new tires are, we wanted to provide a real-world example of the difference Fuel Max Technology can make," said Mark Cherveny, Goodyear brand manager, passenger tires. "Helen and John Taylor broke their own world record set last year, using the same car, the same fuel, and traveling the same route. We believe the difference this year is the set of Assurance Fuel Max tires."

With more than 80 fuel economy and driving world records, Australia's Taylors are no strangers to finding the latest, broadly available technological advancements to help them get the most out of a gallon of fuel. Having established the previous world record, the Taylors were eager to test what kind of difference Goodyear's Fuel Max tires could make.

"We looked forward to the challenge of attempting to break our own world record drive through the 48 U.S. mainland states, and after only a few days of driving on these Goodyear tires, we knew we could shatter the record," said Helen Taylor. "We hope our record-breaking journey helps educate the driving public that decisions, such as choosing the right tires, using the right fuel and adopting fuel-saving driving techniques can help anyone save money and fuel, and reduce carbon emissions."

On July 28, the Taylors kicked off their long-distance drive just as they did last year - at a Shell-branded station in Sterling, VA, and crossed the "finish line" in Ashburn, VA, at a Goodyear independently owned and operated retail store, Virginia Tire & Auto.