Would You Drive With Airless Tires?

by TTAC Staff

Published: January 5th, 2024

Photo Credit: Michelin

The automotive industry has witnessed a revolutionary development with the introduction of airless tire technology. This innovation eliminates the need for air in tires, offering a more stable and reliable driving experience. It effectively addresses the common issues of flat tires and rapid pressure loss, enhancing safety and comfort for drivers.

Michelin's Role in Airless Tire Innovation

Michelin is leading this technological advancement with its Unique Puncture-proof Tire System (UPTIS) prototype. Designed for passenger cars, UPTIS was first showcased at the Movin’On summit in 2019. This marks a crucial step towards making airless tire technology widely available.

The Composition and Advantages of UPTIS

UPTIS distinguishes itself with its composition, merging an aluminum wheel and a flexible load-bearing structure crafted from glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). This structure preserves Michelin's known tire performance while being adaptable for high-speed use, a feature not seen in previous airless tire models.

Benefits Across the Board

UPTIS introduces several advantages:

For Motorists: Eliminates concerns about tire damage from road conditions.
For Fleet Owners: Boosts productivity by minimizing vehicle downtime and tire-related maintenance.
Environmental Benefits: Significantly cuts down tire waste, reducing environmental waste and harm.

Tackling Tire Waste

Each year, a substantial portion of tires are discarded due to punctures, pressure loss, and uneven wear. UPTIS aims to lessen this waste, potentially saving around 200 million tires, equivalent to 2 million tonnes, from disposal.

UPTIS: Shaping the Future of Mobility

Beyond traditional vehicles, UPTIS is also tailored for emerging clean and autonomous mobility solutions. It's especially useful for shared mobility services, including autonomous shuttles and vehicle fleets.

Partnerships and Practical Applications

Michelin's dedication is further demonstrated through its collaboration with DHL, equipping delivery vehicles in Singapore with UPTIS. Real-world tests are underway in various locations like Las Vegas and Thailand, showcasing UPTIS’s durability and effectiveness.

This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.

TTAC Staff

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1 comment

JoeTaco on Jan 07, 2024
“This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.” That explains why it reads like a press release.

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3-On-The-Tree Old news if it is even true. But from m my time as Firefighter/EMT fighting vehicle fires when it catches fire it is very toxic.
Akear Chinese cars simply do not have the quality of their Japanese and Korean counterparts. Remember, there are also tariffs on Chinese cars.
3-On-The-Tree My experience with turbos is that they don’t give good mpg.
GregLocock They will unless you don't let them. Every car manufacturing country around the world protects their local manufacturers by a mixture of legal and quasi legal measures. The exception was Australia which used to be able to design and manufacture every component in a car (slight exaggeration) and did so for many years protected by local design rules and enormous tariffs. In a fit of ideological purity the tariffs were removed and the industry went down the plughole, as predicted. This was followed by the precision machine shops who made the tooling, and then the aircraft maintenance business went because the machine shops were closed. Also of course many of the other suppliers closed.The Chinese have the following advantagesSlave laborCheap electricityZero respect for IPLong term planning
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