We are entering a new era with the car: Heavy electric cars, car sharing services, self-driving cars and new cars that are delivered without spare wheels or jacks to save weight, consumption and emissions. To meet these challenges, Goodyear is now developing a new tire without air.
Michael Rachita is head of Goodyear’s development program for airless tires. He believes that tires with air will always be available, but that tires without air will be able to solve some of the challenges that the transport sector will face in the years to come:
The tire loss that costs you thousands
Lasts longer
– We are on our way into a world where self-driving vehicles are becoming more common. In addition, car sharing and shoveling schemes with different car types are constantly evolving. Then maintenance-free tires become increasingly important. In tires without air, it is not necessary to check the air pressure. This eliminates, among other things, the problem of increased wear due to incorrect pressure, which means that the tire lasts longer. Our new tire is also built so that you can continue driving even after an incident that would otherwise cause a puncture, Rachita explains in a press release.
TESTED NOW: The tire is now being tested on heavy, electric cars such as Tesla, but it will certainly take a few years before the factory gets it approved for normal use on the road. Photo: Goodyear
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Does not puncture
Modern cars have cameras, lidar, radar and GPS that control all the new safety systems. If one of these systems fails, another will take over the job to ensure that the vehicle can function optimally. When an inflated tire punctures, you usually have to call for help and the car is transported to a workshop to get a new tire.
– A tire without air, as we are developing now, has these extra safety measures. The core of the tire consists of an intertwined network that means that the tire still works as normal, even if something should happen to it, says Rachita.
PS. Goodyear is not alone in developing airless tires. In 2019, the tire manufacturer Michelin presented its concept which is already in production:
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More comfortable
He says that their tests also show that this tire also provides better driving comfort:
– Comfort for passengers is important. Although many people think that an airless tire will make the ride more uncomfortable, it is actually the opposite. Comfort is one of the areas where airless tires have an advantage. You can have heavier loads and still get a more comfortable feeling than you get with an air-filled tire, Rachita claims.
MUCH BOAST: Michael Rachita is head of Goodyear’s development program for airless tires. If half of the features he boasts of are present when the tire comes into production, this can be exciting. Photo: Goodyear
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Will it be expensive?
For the time being, Goodyear does not say anything about when such tires can become commonly available for passenger cars. It is used today on some construction machines. Testing in the real world is going on now, but it will be a few years before you and I can buy the tire in the store. This is part of Goodyear’s goal of producing completely maintenance-free tires from 100 percent sustainable materials and bringing them to market by 2030.
The price of such a tire does not say anything about the factory now either. If it gets so many good features, it can certainly be expensive.
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