Could flat tyres soon be a thing of the past?

Image source, Getty Images

The sight of a car limping on a near-flat tire is still common.

It's possible that the driver didn't check the pressure as often as they should and that's why the tire replacement cost is so high.

It's difficult to not feel that a car's weakness is its tires. Is this changing?

The black rubber air-filled doughnuts were first used on vehicles in the 1890s and are not easy to recycle.

A car on a test track in Luxembourg is doing emergency stops as it twists through tight corners. There are standard things. The car is made in the US and has four airless tires.

The spokes support the rubber tread. As the car goes through its paces, the spokes are contorted.

Image source, Getty Images

There will be noise and some vibration, as well as the limitations of non-pneumatic tires. We don't know how to make the ride softer. We believe you will be surprised by the performance. He was correct in his opinion.

Electric cars and self driving vehicles are changing the tire market. Delivery firms and shuttle services want products that are puncture-proof and recyclable.

In cities, car sharing and ride hailing are on the rise. A car with a flat tire isn't making money.

Air-filled tires will always have their place but a mixture of solutions is needed. It's important to have a maintenance-free tire as we move into a world where many cities are offering transport-as-a-service.

The tires are tested for 24 hours at a time. That's a long time. The structures continue to perform safely even though some spokes are broken. He says it's test- learn. We are at a stage that gives us a lot of confidence. This is not a joke.

Image source, Michelin

The two companies have been working on airless tires since the beginning of the year. There were reports in February of a new Chevrolet Bolt electric car that could feature the Unique Puncture-proof Tire System (Uptis).

Cyrille Roget, a scientific and innovation expert at the French tyre maker, wouldn't confirm the Bolt reports, but told the British Broadcasting Corporation that they will have more to say later this year.

Airless wheels have been a market leader for the past decade. The Tweel is a wheel that is used on slow moving vehicles.

Mr Roget said: "Optimising the technology for road vehicles is a totally different challenge." Airless technology has been around a long time.

Uptis is just the beginning. The company that gave us the pumped-up Michelin Man logo has a multi-year plan to create a tyre that is airless, connected, 3D-printed and made entirely of materials that can be melted down and re- used.

It would be maintenance-free according to the company.

Image source, Getty Images

Airless structures are ideal for electric vehicles. "You can carry more load with a more compliant feel than in an air tire."

Airless tires have a patch with the road that increases drag. With implications for battery life and range, rolling resistance uses more energy to drive the tires forward.

The sound of rubber-on-road.

"With engine sound removed on an electric car, tyres become the dominant source of noise," says Matt Ross, editor-in-chief.

The rigidity of plastic spokes makes them vibrate. The performance and response of air tires can be hard for drivers to understand.

Image source, Hankook

What regulators decide is more important than what consumers think.

Standards of rules will be demanded by governments. New facilities will need to be invested in by tyre makers. It will be a long time.

Early adoption of technology in niches will help drive the technology forward. "Non-pneumatic tyres are of particular interest to sectors like the military, disaster response, security vehicles, and specialist machinery," Klaus Kraus, head of European research and development at Hankook, told the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The newest version of the i-Flex NPT was released in January. The honeycomb of interlocking spokes is smaller than a conventional tyre and is able to cope with the stresses of both sides of the body.

The world's largest tire maker is interested in industrial applications in farming, mining and construction, where demand could be high from customers that see a costly loss of productivity when tyres fail.

Initially, airless tyres will have a higher price. Regular re-treading and 3D printing could be a game-changer. Some experts think that consumers won't need to buy a lot of tires. They will get them for free and pay per mile.

Image source, Goodyear

Sosia Causeret Josten is an analyst at the Sightline Tyre Intelligence division. There is only one contact between the road and the vehicle.

Connected vehicles might be able to give information about where government authorities need to make road repairs or lay salt in the cold weather.

Automatic braking systems can be used. The anti-lock braking system can tell if the vehicle is driving on summer tires. She says that the advantage can play an important role in the future.

Not all technology needs to be exclusive to airless tires. Some manufacturers don't believe in the future of NPTS. Continental believes that pneumatic tyres are the best choice for most vehicles.

She says air-filled rubber is the best compromise for safety, comfort, performance and sustainable living.

Continental is working on a self-inflating system that keeps the pressure in the wheel at optimal levels.

The company is interested in green products. Continental and Goodyear are researching a dandelion flower that produces latex similar to rubber trees, as well as using recycled plastic bottles for its premium tires.

Only a limited amount of sustainable alternatives are available. Air tires have been around for a long time. She says that they are still convinced of this.