From treaded, to tubeless, to snow or all-terrain types, tires have gone through their fair share of changes and improvements. But while innovation is constant when it comes to vehicles themselves, it would seem that the basic idea behind tires has remained the same, which is the fact that they are made with air. Except now, they’re not.
For one of the biggest names in tires, Michelin, they’re attempting to go head first when it comes to tire trash all throughout the world by creating the world’s first puncture-proof “airless” tires. By doing this, it will help in reducing 18% of all the world’s tires that end up damaged and junked due to early death because of punctures.
During the Munich Auto Show that took place last September, Michelin Tires showed off their highly creative new tire design for their airless tire that is supposed to be immune to any punctures that turn them into junk.
In the United States alone, at least 260 million tires are discarded every year, which has left the world with massive waste issues. A huge percentage of these useless tires end up in landfills or on the sides of freeways, where they end up releasing incredibly harmful gasses and microplastics as they break down wherever they are left to decompose.
This new Michelin tire is being called the Unique Puncture Proof Tire System or “UPTIS,” which is designed by using 46% recycled materials that are made from a mixture of plastic that’s laced with glass fibers, which provides the flexible outer layer with an inner one that is stiffer.
Cyrille Roget, who happens to be the Michelin Group Technical and Scientific Communications Director, said, “The truly distinctive structure of the Michelin UPTIS prototype, or it’s ‘weirdness’ as we have often heart it called, really attracted the attention of many visitors and left a lasting impression on them.”
“It was an exceptional experience for us, and our greatest satisfaction came at the end of the demonstration when our passengers, who were admittedly a little wary at first, said they felt no difference compared with conventional tires,” he added.
According to New Atlas, the manufacturing of these new tires isn’t just a European “green” plan to appease politicians, but the internal spokes of the tires can even be fine-tuned to have perfect details such as improving comfort and handling while on the road.
But when it comes to Michelin, the company believes that these airless tires will be able to improve everyone’s lives. Since the tires are much less susceptible to wear and tear while on the road, it means their maintenance costs are less as well, which is good for companies that have huge fleets – making them less expensive in the long run. In addition, car owners that are inexperienced as well won’t accidentally destroy their wheels by driving them while they are either under or over inflated either.
Although the tires don’t have a current price at the moment, or that they’ve actually being in development since the year 2005, they won’t actually be on the market for another 24 to 36 months. Moreover, Michelin has high hopes to manufacture these airless tires using 100% recycled materials in the next 30 years.
Check out more about these tires by watching the video below.
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