AUGUSTA, GA (May 2, 2007) – NASCAR has known about the advantages of using nitrogen to inflate high-performance racing tires for years. NASA and several branches of the military also opt for nitrogen over compressed air to fill tires on many of their vehicles. Now Club Car is bringing nitrogen’s benefits to the golf course.
“Nitrogen improves fuel economy, promotes longer tire life and is friendlier to the environment than compressed air,” said Mike Packer, vice president of Worldwide Sales for Club Car. “It’s a competitive advantage for our golf course customers.”
Club Car’s Precedent golf cars and Villager 4 hospitality vehicles now come from the factory standard with nitrogen-filled tires. The benefits of nitrogen may be extended to other vehicles in the Club Car line in future model years, Packer said.
Mark Langner, director of agronomy and applied research at FarmLinks in Sylacauga, Ala., said he’s been impressed with early test results of the nitrogen system. “We’re seeing more consistency with air pressure in all of our vehicles, including tractor and truck tires,” he said.
Nitrogen generators developed by the Industrial Technologies sector of Ingersoll Rand use what’s known as membrane technology to pump the colorless and odorless inert gas into tires. Club Car is a business of Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited, a diversified industrial firm.
Nitrogen addresses the single biggest reason for tire failure – fluctuating pressure. “Because nitrogen diffuses 30 to 40 percent slower than oxygen in compressed air, it doesn’t permeate the tire wall and cause the tire to lose pressure,” said Ryan Lang, a solutions manager for Ingersoll Rand. Maintaining tire pressure can boost fuel economy by as much as six percent, Lang added.
Nitrogen also disperses heat more quickly than ambient air, which promotes a cooler running tire and extended tread life. In studies of commercial truck fleets, tire life has been increased by up to 26 percent when tires are filled with nitrogen rather than compressed air.
Eliminating most of the oxygen in the tire also reduces the chance of oxidation, which can lead to rusting and aging rims and the degradation of internal components.
When courses need to inflate a tire, adding compressed air to a tire originally filled with nitrogen doesn’t create any problems or affect the properties of the nitrogen already in the tire, according to Club Car.
Club Car will make available Nitrogen Tire Inflation Systems through its Aftermarket department. The systems can be easily connected to a compressed air supply by Club Car or Ingersoll Rand personnel.
To learn more, please contact us or visit: www.clubcar.com.
About Club Car:
Club Car manufactures a wide range of electric- and gasoline-powered vehicles for the golf, utility, transportation, private owner and rough terrain markets. Based in Augusta, Ga., Club Car is part of Ingersoll Rand, a global diversified firm providing products, services and solutions to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings, transport and protect food and perishables, secure homes and commercial properties, and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. Driven by a 100-year-old tradition of technological innovation, we enable our customers to create progress and a positive impact in their world. For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com.