Like waterproof phones, shockproof watches, and hard-to-break screens, new tire technology may offer protection against pneumatic punctures and defects and change your driving experience.
Michelin was one of several tire makers developing airless tires, but it seemed as unlikely as General Motors' early vision for self-driving cars.
Now, the two companies are setting a timeline in their calendar to get airless tires on the market by 2024.
Among the benefits of these new tires: avoiding the side cut that spoils the pneumatic tires, and there is no longer any concern about the possibility of pneumatic tires inflating, and there is no need after that to use spare tires, winches and air inflators, as well as the fear of tires exploding, which causes fatal accidents on the roads.
In a previous report to the French magazine L'Obs, Boris Manenti from the company's huge technological center in the outskirts of Clermont-Ferrand says that the puncture-resistant tire technology may be adapted to all types of vehicles, providing the same characteristics and performance when driving.
He adds that the prototype of the "Unique Puncture-Resistant Tire System" (Abtis) must undergo a series of safety tests before this type of tire is mass produced and marketed in 2024, and priority will be given to the United States for the many nails littered on the roads so that punctures become mere memories.
without air
The writer explained that he noticed a significant change in the tire, in that it is empty of air, and in it, instead of the traditional black rubber band, many solid fins attached to the edge, with hollow surfaces, but you have to watch how it passes over a high nail to understand its importance immediately, and watch it It collides with an object and deforms during the impact, before regaining its initial shape, and in all this depends on these particularly rigid fins.
Arik Fiennes, director of research and development at Michelin, says 20% of the world's tires die prematurely due to a puncture or bad pressure, so these two problems will disappear completely, and the shock-reaction of puncture-resistant tires will be welcome in countries where the roads are severely damaged.
And because Michelin is convinced that tires will still exist after 30 years, and if cars become flying - as the writer says - it employs 3,400 people in various workshops and laboratories to reinvent tires in 2050, and puncture-resistant tires will initially be “without air,” as Vince says, but nonetheless. Rechargeable" and 100% sustainable "ingredients" compared to 28% today.
In order to reach the environmental goal, Michelin is already envisioning plants capable of 3D-printing on-demand directly onto the tire without removing it, to rejuvenate the worn-out area and avoid changing everything too early.
According to Cyril Roget, Director of Scientific Communications at Michelin, the idea of recharging assumes the presence of communication, so tomorrow's tire will be equipped with multiple sensors that allow the driver to know the condition of his tires immediately, and who is performing the repair determines the process to be carried out, all to make life easier for drivers, and provide performance better for them.
When he gets smart
Michelin is not alone in thinking about the future of tires, as its American competitor, "Goodyear", caused a sensation with its "Aero" concept, designed specifically for self-driving cars and flying cars, where there is no air and no rubber band on the side, but solid radial bars that can To serve as a propeller that allows the vehicle to "take off" thanks to the lateral height of the tires.
Goodyear explains that the propeller frame will use enough magnetic force for frictionless propulsion to achieve the necessary speed for safe flight, and the manufacturer is also touting the integration of artificial intelligence to avoid any problem, but this is fictional at the moment, she does not dare to set an appointment "although Some of these technologies are under development," says the author.
For its part, the South Korean company "Hankook" is working to realize its dream of using the "Hexonic" tire in 2035, a variable tire that continuously analyzes the road to adapt to its tread grooves based on a system based on a large number of sensors, and is intended for cars Self-driving.