AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, POPULAR MECHANICS named The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT) as a 2012 Breakthrough Award winner for their Air Maintenance Technology (AMT). The POPULAR MECHANICS Breakthrough Awards, now in their eighth year, recognize the innovators and products that have dramatically advanced the fields of technology, medicine, space exploration, automotive design, environmental engineering and more. Goodyear and other winners will be honored at an invitation-only conference and gala awards ceremony in New York City on October 4, and in the November issue of POPULAR MECHANICS, available on newsstands October 16.  

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"We are honored to be named as one of POPULAR MECHANICS Breakthrough Award winners for 2012," stated Goodyear's Chief Technical Officer Jean-Claude Kihn. "Our Air Maintenance Technology will enhance driving performance, while having a positive impact on the environment through improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and extended tire life. This award highlights the innovative work of our engineers, as well as our efforts to bring a relevant product to market."

Goodyear's Air Maintenance Technology will help ensure the optimum tire pressure is maintained and as a result could mean substantial savings at the fuel pump. According to government and industry research, underinflated tires result in between a 2.5 percent and 3.3 percent decrease in fuel economy. While the technology is complex, the idea behind the AMT system is relatively simple and powered by the tire itself as it rolls down the road.

"We are once again excited to recognize this year's list of incredible honorees for their role in shaping the future," says James B. Meigs, editor-in-chief of POPULAR MECHANICS. "From a featherweight metal to the world's fastest and most electrically efficient supercomputer, this year's winners embody the creative spirit that the Breakthrough Awards were founded upon."

A full list of winners can be found at www.popularmechanics.com/breakthroughawards.

Past recipients of the Breakthrough Awards include James Cameron, genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter, efficiency expert Amory Lovins, inventor and FIRST Robotics founder Dean Kamen, and humanitarian engineer Amy Smith. 

POPULAR MECHANICS' Breakthrough Awards are given in two categories: innovators, whose inventions will make the world smarter, safer and more efficient in the years to come, and products, which are setting benchmarks in design and engineering today.

Follow the 2012 Breakthrough Awards @PopMech, #BTA2012.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 53 facilities in 22 countries around the world.  Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company