Proper inflation and eco-friendly tires are not just a load of hot air when it comes to reducing gasoline consumption and money spent at the pump.

While plug-ins, hybrids and hydrogen cars continue to garner attention, let’s not forget the most basic of automobile accessories – the tires. With companies producing tires from orange rinds, promising better gas mileage and encouraging proper air inflation, it turns out one’s wheels are not a mere accessory to one’s vehicle.

At the Detroit Auto Show, Michelin announced a new Energy Save All-Season passenger tire that offers fuel savings by "decreasing the levels of rolling resistance," according to the company. The all-season tire isn't for everyone -- it was designed for people with passenger cars who drive less than 10,000 miles per year.

This follows Michelin's recently released greener tire for semi trucks that is wider than regular tires and allows truckers to use one tire instead of two side-by-side. With this new tire, truckers have reported a 4 to 10 percent improvement in fuel economy, which adds up considering the distance those trucks cover daily.

That’s nothing compared to making a tire from 85 percent citrus oil. Given that most tires come from petroleum and end up in landfills, it’s a pretty bold move to make a tire from orange rinds. But Yokohama announced its new tire at an auto show in November of 2007 and boasted that it uses 85 percent less petroleum than regular tires, ensures good air pressure and has a reduced weight, therefore less resistance.

But the tire itself isn’t the whole story. President-elect Barrack Obama, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter have recently encouraged citizens to practice “EcoDriving,” an initiative that pumps up properly inflated tires as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and save money. They say average drivers could improve their mileage by at least 15 percent by maintaining proper inflation. Hopefully as Obama takes the presidential office, this effort will be undertaken by more than just Illinois, Colorado and California residents.

These improvements give those with old hoopdies a bit of hope. If you can’t afford a hybrid, no worries – at least more eco-friendly tires are available, and maintaining proper inflation for all of your tires will boost fuel economy.