Airless Car Tire! Michelin Reinvents The Wheel 16 Sep 2021

It’s my honour to introduce Michelin’s first airless car tyre – the UPTIS (Unique Puncture-Proof Tyre System). Some might say Michelin really is reinventing the wheel!  

The tyre doesn’t launch officially until 2024, but it’s pretty much production ready. It was designed to reduce wasting perfectly usable tyres that could otherwise be scrapped. Due to punctures and sidewall damage, it is thought that up to 200 million tyres per year are scrapped, contributing to huge global wastage.  

On the tread, it pretty much follows a traditional pattern and structure. It is through the cross section of the tyre, however, that this revolutionary concept comes into its own. We see a set of ‘spokes’, made with fibreglass specifically developed by Michelin. This helps distribute the load and replace the air. They were ten years in the making, with a mind-boggling 50 patents!  

Driving on the prototype tyres, I was in disbelief that I was actually driving on an airless tyre, it seemed surreal. If I didn’t know I was driving on these special tyres, I wouldn’t have a clue. You can design the tyre both with and without sidewalls, the main drive for Michelin is sustainability going forward, so stay tuned to see what’s coming up… 

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