GM wants to take air out of tyres
General Motors is teaming up with Michelin to remove air out of tyres altogether, writes Damien O’Carroll.
General Motors has announced that it will be testing Michelin’s new generation of airless wheel technology, with the view of introducing it on the company’s passenger vehicles as early as 2024.
The company said that it will undertake real-world testing and validation of Michelin’s Uptis (Unique Puncture-proof tyre System) prototype, on a test fleet of Chevrolet Bolt EVs in Michigan.
‘‘General Motors is excited about the possibilities that Uptis presents, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Michelin on this breakthrough technology,’’ says Steve Kiefer, General Motors’ senior vice-president, global purchasing and supply chain.
‘‘Uptis is an ideal fit for propelling the automotive industry into the future and a great example of how our customers benefit when we collaborate and innovate with our supplier partners.’’
Airless tyres – otherwise known as tweels – are nothing new and Michelin has been developing the technology for well over a decade. The company already offers them for some commercial vehicles, such as skidsteers, while it has also recently started making them for side-byside UTVs. Similarly Polaris also has one designed for off-road applications.
Airless tyres feature a conventional tyre tread wrapped around resin ‘‘spokes’’ that can compress to absorb impacts, eliminating flat tyres and the risk of blowouts.
This brings big improvements in convenience and safety, and has significant potential for reducing the use of raw materials and waste.
GM says that widespread adoption of airless tyres would
reduce the number of punctured or damaged tyres that are scrapped before reaching the end of their life cycle.
It would also reduce the use of raw materials, energy for production and emissions linked to the manufacture of spare tyres and replacement tyres that are no longer required.
They also last longer by eliminating irregular wear and tear caused by over- or underinflation.
The main downside to airless tyres has traditionally been that they are more expensive to produce, although this would change as production is ramped up for mainstream applications.
The barrier to this has been that the technology hasn’t been tested widely enough to determine whether airless tyres would suit all types of vehicles, but Michelin says it is working with other car manufacturers in addition to GM to determine just that.
Airless tyres feature a conventional tyre tread wrapped around resin ‘‘spokes’’ that can compress to absorb impacts, eliminating flat tyres and the risk of blowouts.