Goodyear is producing airless tires, but it really is unclear when you’ll be able to put them on your car or truck.
The business recently declared that prototype tires have completed 75,000 miles of testing at speeds up to 100 mph, in temperatures ranging from scorching heat to snow. Some of that tests has been carried out with a Tesla Model 3 at Goodyear’s Luxembourg proving grounds, the enterprise explained in a statement.
Also referred to as non-pneumatic tires (NPTs), airless tires have lessen routine maintenance necessities than common tires, and are greater equipped to tackle weighty hundreds, in accordance to Goodyear.
The corporation also believes airless tires will be a much better healthy for motor vehicles past passenger vehicles, particularly autonomous shuttles that may well be utilized by long run mobility expert services to transfer people and merchandise all-around urban facilities. Aspect of the growth procedure will require testing airless tires on “autonomous vehicles and very last-mile delivery robots,” Goodyear said.
Goodyear airless tire prototype
Goodyear mentioned it can be aiming for United States Office of Transportation approval of its airless tires, but mentioned that this is “continue to numerous several years absent.” And provided the company’s interest in catering to mobility solutions, the to start with applications may well not be individual automobiles.
Other massive tire manufacturers have shown desire in airless tires. Bridgestone confirmed a puncture-proof airless tire idea in 2011, and in 2019 Michelin said it would start off giving airless tires for General Motors autos as early as 2024.
Hankook confirmed its own airless tire concept as early as 2013, and mentioned in 2015 that airless tires were being inching nearer to output actuality. But we haven’t heard considerably about the challenge due to the fact then.
An airless tire has designed it to production—just not for vehicles. Polaris started presenting them as an option in 2013 on its ATVs.