Airless tires: how they work and what advantages do they have over traditional tires

Few elements have maintained their essence throughout automotive history like tires. By its own conception, the tire has remained practically unchanged over the years as a rubber that has barely changed its materials to be more efficient, either by storing air or nitrogen inside. But nevertheless, tire manufacturers have long been studying how they can revolutionize this concept that seemed immovable.

The last decade has left us a trail of information from tests and studies that brands such as Hankook, Michelin or Bridgestone are carrying out to achieve a airless tire that can be mass produced and be commercialized in the near future. If any of the advanced prototypes go ahead, the advantages would be evident, both in terms of safety and daily consumption and energy efficiency.

What are the disadvantages of the traditional tire

The mass marketing of an airless tire can be a drastic change for the user in terms of vehicle maintenance. The data tells us that, as drivers, we do not pay enough attention to this element which, however, is essential in terms of safety. In fact, the DGT ensures that 18% of the suspensions in the ITV are derived from serious defects in the axles, tires and suspensions.

Inadequate or insufficient pressure on the tires puts into play our security, as the stability of the vehicle will be compromised and other elements, such as the aforementioned suspension or the steering, will receive vibrations that can lead to a breakdown. All this without forgetting that the risk of suffering a puncture or a blowout, in the worst case, is more likely when the driver has not noticed the lost air in the last weeks or months.

To the above, it must be added that current tires (whether they are filled with nitrogen or air) suffer a lot if they we hit a curb hard or we leave the car parked with one wheel resting on it, creating degradations and malformations in the rubber that are more difficult to see but very dangerous once we are in motion.

What is gained from an airless tire

Remove air from inside a tire not just a breakthrough in driver comfortYou can forget to check for pressure loss, increase pressure slightly before a trip with a large load in the trunk, or simply suffer a puncture.

So far, the prototypes we have seen of airless tires have some common characteristics, among which is a circular inner mesh made of a flexible material (such as elastic polyurethane) based on shapes that facilitate the absorption of vertical forces generated by the car, those suffered when climbing a curb or those produced by the car itself when driving at high speeds.

The advantages in all cases are obvious. The tire is capable of adapting to the load transported by the vehicle and, therefore, always offers the best performance and without suffering irregular wear caused by inadequate pressure. In addition, in case of impact it is much more flexible and resistant. Finally, the efficiency of the compound is much higher, since it will not produce higher consumption than expected due to poor maintenance, the interdependent elements (such as the suspension or the steering) will not suffer vibrations that accelerate the wear of its parts and its useful life should be older, by better adapting to all the above conditions.

In the near future?

The theory is fine, but when can we expect them? Will we see them on the streets soon? The truth is that, for now, all we’ve known is that brands are studying their prototypes, of which we have heard recently in relation to Hankook. The automaker has unveiled the latest version of its i-Flex at CES, developed in collaboration with Hyundai and which they hope to include in future autonomous vehicles now in development.

Another of the manufacturers that have shown their developments in recent years has been Bridgestone. In early 2020 they showed the latest version of their airless tires, promising that they would come in the near future to trucks and bicycles. In fact, as sponsors of the Tokyo Olympics, it was expected that we would see this concept in some autonomous vehicles, but ultimately we did not hear from them.

Michelin has put a date on the table: 2024. If the developments come to fruition, the French firm wants to put its Uptis (Unique Puncture-proof Tire System) on the market. In fact, last year he presented them in society in a car with passengers for the first time. Of its possible price or the expected useful life, nothing is known.