Tire Technology International
  • News
    • A-D
      • Appointments
      • Apps
      • Awards
      • Business
      • Certification
      • Components
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Data management
      • Design
      • Distribution
    • E-N
      • Education
      • Factory logistics
      • Headquarters
      • Industry 4.0
      • Investments
      • Machine Vision & Inspection
      • Manufacturing Facilities
      • Materials
      • New tires
    • O-S
      • OE Fitments
      • Partnerships
      • People
      • Regulations
      • Research & Development
      • Retreading
      • Sales facilities
      • Show News
    • S-Z
      • Simulation
      • Sustainability
      • Testing & Analysis
      • Tire Building
      • Tire handling
      • Tire Modeling & Digital Tools
      • Tire Recycling
      • TPMS & Electronics
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    • July 2023
    • March 2023
    • Annual Showcase 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • 年国际轮胎技术年刊
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Events
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
  • Automotive Interiors
  • Automotive Testing
  • Autonomous Vehicle
  • Automotive Powertrain
  • Professional Motorsport
  • Media Pack
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
Tire Technology International
  • News
      • Appointments
      • Apps
      • Awards
      • Business
      • Certification
      • Components
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Data management
      • Design
      • Distribution
      • Education
      • Factory logistics
      • Headquarters
      • Industry 4.0
      • Investments
      • Machine Vision & Inspection
      • Manufacturing Facilities
      • Materials
      • New tires
      • OE Fitments
      • Partnerships
      • People
      • Regulations
      • Research & Development
      • Retreading
      • Sales facilities
      • Show News
      • Simulation
      • Sustainability
      • Testing & Analysis
      • Tire Building
      • Tire handling
      • Tire Modeling & Digital Tools
      • Tire Recycling
      • TPMS & Electronics
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    1. March/April 2025
    2. November 2024
    3. Annual Showcase 2024
    4. October 2024
    5. July 2024
    6. March 2024
    7. 年国际轮胎技术年刊
    8. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    28th April 2025

    In this Issue – March/April 2025

    Online Magazines By Web Team
    Recent

    In this Issue – March/April 2025

    28th April 2025

    In this Issue – November 2024

    11th December 2024

    In this Issue – Annual Showcase 2024

    21st November 2024
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Awards
    • Tire Technology International Awards 2025
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Events
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
Tire Technology International
Design

2020 in review: Air-free future

Graham HeepsBy Graham Heeps30th December 20205 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

During 2020, Graham Heeps revisited a number of tire technologies from the past. In this edition, he asks if the airless tire’s time has come at last

There aren’t many futuristic tire technologies that are older than the pneumatic tire itself, but the airless tire is one of them. Naturally we don’t envision a future in which autonomous pods will go bumping down the street on solid polymer donuts, but if the recent, production-intent concepts do make it to mass production then it’s possible that, a few years down the line, at least some of us will no longer be riding on air.

As early as the May 1938 edition of Popular Science, it was reported that one J V Martin of Garden City, NY, had used spokes of ribbed rubber encased in rings of rubber-coated hickory hardwood to form a ‘safety tire’. His airless design bears a remarkable similarity to Michelin’s Tweel – which itself evolved from research at Uniroyal-Goodrich in the 1980s – in mimicking the built-in ride comfort of a pneumatic toroid, but without the risk of punctures or blowouts.

Even with considerable development behind it, it’s unlikely that Martin’s ingenious concept would have matched the pneumatic tire’s ability to evolve to meet ever-increasing vehicle performance in the decades that followed – assuming Martin could have equaled the pneumatic’s winning combination of grip and durability to begin with.

But perhaps equally as important to the fate of Martin’s design and of just about every other left field concept that followed, was that any attempt to challenge the status quo has traditionally been seen off by the innate conservatism of the automotive industry. For as long as the pneumatic tire has been able to perform so comprehensively for such a low price, there has been little incentive to take a risk on changing it.

CASE for adoption

Fast forward to 2020, and tire makers are looking seriously at the non-pneumatic idea. As detailed at the 2020 Tire Technology Conference, Michelin has the Uptis in development, with General Motors on board as a development partner with a view to a fitment on the future Bolt AV. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Bridgestone revealed an “air-free commercial truck tire concept trailer tire” with a recycled thermoplastic web at its heart. Other manufacturers including Goodyear and Hankook have been exploring the concept, too. So, what’s changed?

We’re still a long way from mass production for on-road use, but safety and reduced maintenance are top of the list for why airless tires now have more credibility than ever.

First, there’s a strong argument to suggest that in order to ensure the safety of their occupants at all times, all CASE (connected, autonomous, shared and electric) vehicles will require either a permanent monitoring of their tires’ condition through enhanced TPMS (see Looking back to go forward, July 2020, p22-24) or a more maintenance-free tire concept altogether.

That second option could be achieved at last with the benefit of modern materials and tire development technologies to overcome the performance challenges of the past. Michelin for example spent 10 years developing a resin-embedded fiberglass reinforcement for the Uptis (see Michelin Uptis, TTI July 2019), as well the industrial process solutions around it, to create a stronger and lighter structure than that used in Tweel.

Even if all of the performance challenges can be overcome, cost is likely to remain a barrier to airless tires’ adoption on private cars for some time – perhaps forever. But the much-touted rise of fleets of urban autonomous vehicles, and the all-new ownership and maintenance models they will entail, does at least open the door for a component price based on total cost of ownership (TCO), rather than primarily on the purchase cost.

The Michelin Uptis Prototype is tested on a Chevrolet Bolt EV Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at the General Motors Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan. GM intends to develop this airless wheel assembly with Michelin and aims to introduce it on passenger vehicles as early as 2024. (Photo by Steve Fecht for General Motors)

Retread and recycle

The TCO model is well established in the uptime-focused commercial trucking industry, which is where Bridgestone is targeting its airless research.

“Commercial fleets are increasingly looking for ways to maximize uptime and reduce emergency roadside events,” comments Jon Kimpel, executive director of new mobility solution engineering, Bridgestone Americas, in a statement that also cited research indicating that trailer tires account for 40% of all truck tire failures. “When tires don’t need to be filled with air, this essentially erases the downtime associated with a flat tire, improving safety and making mobility more efficient.”

Designing the airless tire for high retreadability means that Bridgestone checks the sustainability box, too. The Uptis is similarly designed for retreading while the Vision airless concept of 2017 showed that Michelin is working long-term towards a tread that could be ‘recharged’ through 3D printing.

Materials science likely holds the key as to whether airless designs emerge as more than a niche player in the future tire market – and in particular, whether the performance expectations can be met and mass produced at an acceptable cost. But Michelin rarely commits publicly to a production timeline – in this case, 2024 – unless it’s done its homework. The company also has a track record of industry-changing innovations to its name. Will Uptis be the next?

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleA day in the life – Eric Wogomon
Next Article 2020 in review: Dave Cowart interview

Related Posts

New tires

Bridgestone debuts 70% recycled and renewable demo tire

13th May 20253 Mins Read
Motorsport

Goodyear to introduce new LMP2 slick at Le Castellet

2nd May 20253 Mins Read
New tires

Yokohama launches regional all-position steer tire

1st May 20252 Mins Read
Latest News

USTMA welcomes move to overturn EPA’s revised NESHAP rules

13th May 2025

Bridgestone debuts 70% recycled and renewable demo tire

13th May 2025

Volkswagen chooses Vredestein winter tire as OE for Tiguan SUV

12th May 2025

Receive breaking stories and features in your inbox each week, for free


Enter your email address:


Supplier Spotlights
  • RJS Corporation
Getting in Touch
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • Download Media Pack
  • Free Weekly E-Newsletter
Our Social Channels
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
RELATED UKI TOPICS
  • Automotive Interiors
  • Automotive Testing
  • Autonomous Vehicle
  • Automotive Powertrain
  • Professional Motorsport
  • Media Pack
© 2025 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Notice & Takedown Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the ...
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category.
elementorneverThe website's WordPress theme uses this cookie. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

CookieDurationDescription
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
test_cookie15 minutesdoubleclick.net sets this cookie to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysYouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYoutube sets this cookie to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt.innertube::nextIdneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requestsneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded YouTube videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
_ga1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
_ga_*1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesCloudflare set the cookie to support Cloudflare Bot Management.

SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by