February 15, 2026
Ford’s Eco-Friendly Tires
There are not many options to be more sustainable when it comes to cars. There is a “green” fuel option at certain gas stations, or you could buy an EV instead. Ford has an opportunity to jump on eco-friendly car parts, starting with tires. Ford has made a significant investment in EVs over the past year and can now expand its green initiative to car owners of all kinds. Whether customers have a hybrid, electric or gas-powered car, they have an option to be more eco-friendly.
The secondary research shows that consumers are looking for sustainable products or when they come across them, they are more likely to purchase. Ford can open up a whole new market for themselves as well as provide existing customers with more options. Research shows that consumers are more likely to go to a company such as Discount Tire to purchase new tires instead of a dealership service center. Providing a new and eco-friendly tire could also help Ford incentivize consumers to use them instead of going to a Discount Tire. A drastic increase in service center jobs and profit could show that their green initiative is more powerful than they initially considered.
The primary research found safety and durability to be the number one priority for consumers when making a purchasing decision for new tires. Consumers are also willing to pay a little more for eco-friendly products, but almost 40% responded that they do not go out of their way to buy eco-friendly products. This means it is likely consumers will choose the eco-friendly tires if Ford makes them easily accessible and priced similarly to the other options. Ford will use the penetrative pricing strategy to break into this competitive market.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Ford needs to be extremely careful when advertising this tire as sustainable. The description for the new tire is “eco-friendly” instead of “sustainable”. Tires are made up of more than just rubber, including metal and bolts. This means the tire as a whole might not be made up of all sustainable materials. However, the rubber of the tire is what affects the environment the most. Forge should highlight the reduced chemical usage and the recycled rubber that is being used. If Ford focuses on the whole tire as being sustainable rather than these two main aspects, they could be sued for greenwashing. Not only would this be a hefty fine from an organization, such as the EPA, but it would also create distrust with consumers. It could then ruin Ford’s reputation and make it difficult for them to release any green initiatives or eco-friendly products in the future.
References
admin_amoeboids. “A Complete Product Strategy Guide (+ 10 Examples) | Amoeboids.” Amoeboids, 26 Feb. 2023, amoeboids.com/blog/product-strategy-guide-examples/.
Paddle. “Penetration Pricing Strategy: Definition, Benefits and Examples.” Www.paddle.com, 2022, http://www.paddle.com/resources/penetration-pricing.
“The Greenwashing Regulations Guide: What You Need to Know.” Banqu.co, 2024, www.banqu.co/blog/greenwashing-regulations.
Execs In The Know. “The Rise of Environmentally Conscious Consumers: CX Reimagined for
Sustainability.” Execs in the Know, 2023,
execsintheknow.com/magazines/july-2023-issue/the-rise-of-environmentally-conscious-c
onsumers-cx-reimagined-for-sustainability/.
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