Recently, it was reported that Chevrolet's Bolt will use airless tires on the next generation of models, which were first launched by Michelin and have applied for 50 patents, which is expected to completely solve the problem of traditional pneumatic tires that are afraid of nailing and have a certain chance of puncturing tires.
The prototype of the Michelin Uptis airless tire was introduced in 2019, this tire is different from the traditional tire, because it does not have an inner tube, but is composed of multi-layer rubber and glass fiber spokes, the ribs are made of rubber, relatively soft, comparable to the inner tube of the pneumatic tire, in addition, because it does not need to be inflated, so even if it is pierced by a nail, there is no impact. In addition, this tire does not puncture, greatly reducing the risk caused by puncture.
Of course, this tire is not all without shortcomings, otherwise it would have been widely promoted and used. Because there is no inflatable inner layer, relying on rubber to cushion, the comfort of this tire is still not as good as that of pneumatic tires, especially some large bumps, and the cushioning is obviously not as good as that of pneumatic tires. In addition, the unique spoke design leaves no coverage on either side of the tire, so the spokes must be adjusted to prevent debris from entering between the spokes. In terms of speed, current airless tires are still inferior to pneumatic tires. In some special scenarios, such as off-road and track, airless tires are currently not up to the task.
But in any case, airless tires can be said to be a direction for the development of automotive tires, because the advantages of this tire are very prominent, once the application will greatly reduce the traffic accidents caused by punctures, Michelin officially announced that it will plan to apply airless tires in 3-5 years, about 2025, we are expected to be able to see the birth of models equipped with airless tires.