Airless Tires to Hit the Market by 2024

Getting a flat tire is one of the most unpleasant situations on the road. However, motorists will soon forget about this problem with airless tires expected to be produced by 2024. Relevant plans were shared by representatives of the General Motors (GM) and Michelin.

Airless tires do not have a sealed air cavity, and therefore they are not susceptible to any damage. Their service life, compared to conventional tires, is longer, as insufficient or excessive pressure does not affect the product performance.

The replacement of standard tires with airless ones will allow companies to reduce tire manufacturing and disposal costs. The reduction of waste will be beneficial to the environment, and spare wheels will become redundant.

However, a lot of work remains to be done before we can feel these positive effects. To that end, French company Michelin that created a new generation of airless tires called UPTIS entered into a cooperation agreement with GM. The companies will test UPTIS tires and, whenever possible, implement the technology in new cars.

The UPTIS tire consists of outer tread and an inner wheel with soft rubber and fiberglass spokes between them. Such design eliminates the need for an air cavity, while maintaining excellent performance of tires at high speeds.