The idea of an airless tire almost seems too good to be true. Something that can maintain its integrity no matter what the temperature is. A piece of rubber that shrugs off nails, potholes, and encounters with the curb.
A large part of the problem centers on the tire’s reliance on air. Without the right amount of air inside it, a tire will lose its integrity pretty quickly, leading to a bumpy ride and, eventually, severe vehicle damage. So why can’t we just make a tire that works without air? Unsurprisingly, tire companies have been working on this for a while. It’s also almost ready for the market.
There are many benefits to airless tires
Airless tires are a huge innovation in many ways. As things stand, modern tires are pretty fragile. Contact with common road hazards, which can include nails, bits of glass, or even a particularly aggressive curb, can write a tire off in an instant. Similarly, something like poor wheel alignment can cause uneven wear and lead to a tire wearing out long before its expected lifespan is over. Then there are issues with the rim. A little corrosion can make a proper seal difficult, resulting in a slow leak and a potential flat at the most inconvenient time.
What this means is that your potentially expensive rubber can be destroyed in an instant. You could be driving along peacefully, before the familiar feeling and sound of a flat rears its ugly head. If you pull over immediately, the tire could potentially be salvaged. But drive a little too far on a flat, and it’s totally ruined. To make matters worse, sometimes a flat means you have to replace two or more tires. And spares aren’t even included on all vehicles, so you may have to shell out for a tow truck or roadside replacement, too.
Then, there’s the environmental benefit. A good number of tires don’t make it through their expected lifespan, with punctures or other mishaps cutting their service short. If you could guarantee almost all tires would make it a few years, then you’ll have far less rubber to recycle or dispose of overall. Michelin believes a fifth of tires, roughly 200 million, are disposed of each year due to either damage sustained or uneven wear. They’re also the company which is arguably closest to a solution.
Michelin has an airless tire close to production
Michelin unveiled a concept for its Uptis tire a few years back. Now the airless wheel casing is almost ready to hit the road. The iconic French company has also partnered with manufacturers to develop and demonstrate its revolutionary rubber. This includes a high-profile deal with GM, and rumored collaboration with Elon Musk’s Tesla.
The Uptis concept hit the headlines a few times in 2024, though a consumer edition is still just on the horizon. There’s the suggestion that the airless tire will debut on utility vehicles, like ATVs and lawn mowers, rather than on the road. Either way, based on the information available, it’s a safe bet that the company that also gave us the world’s most prestigious restaurant guide will have the first consumer airless tire on the market, and you’ll likely be able to get one within the next few years.
Other manufacturers are in the race too
While Michelin is likely to be the first company to introduce an airless tire, other major companies are also exploring airless options. The most notable are Bridgestone and Goodyear, which have both announced and demonstrated concept airless tires.
Bridgestone’s “Air Free Concept” has been around for several years, with the company showing it on bicycles and golf carts. The tire manufacturer’s most recent update, in February 2023, suggested that the tech was being tested on “ultra compact EVs.”
Goodyear is the other big name in the game, and like its competitors, the American manufacturer’s development of the airless rubber has been public knowledge for a few years. Goodyear has partnered with a few companies but may have the most out-there concept going. The “Eagle 360 Urban” was unveiled back in 2017 with futuristic claims about AI-design and a 3D printed prototype. What really makes it stand out is the fact that it isn’t really a tire. It’s closer to a basketball than anything. As with its competitors, Goodyear seems to be paying particular attention to the EV market when it comes to its airless ambitions.
All of the airless concepts, including Michelin’s, rely on internal, lightweight, flexible spokes to give the tire form. While this is the most logical option, solid material tends to be heavier than air, which may lead to the airless tire’s biggest issue.
An airless tire may not be for you
While never having to worry about a puncture again sounds good, an airless tire may not be for you. Despite the high-tech design of airless tires reducing weight as much as possible, they’ll still have considerably more mass than standard tires. And more weight on the wheels is a pretty big problem.
Vehicles have two kinds of weight: sprung and unsprung. To put it simply, everything above the suspension is sprung weight or mass, and everything not supported by the suspension is unsprung weight. Unsprung weight is harder to control and account for, so engineers try to keep it to a minimum. Tires are, by their nature, unsprung weight.
So, as airless tires weigh more than their air-filled counterparts, they’re going to be pretty detrimental to how the car handles. Vehicles using them will have more chance of losing control when they hit a bump or end up on an irregular road surface. If you’ve ever driven a car that uses run on flat tires, you’ll know those don’t feel great. Airless tires are probably going to feel even worse, and there isn’t much engineers can do about that.
Airless tires will almost certainly become an option within the next decade, and the benefits will outweigh the determinants for many. But if you like to get the hammer down on occasion or just prefer more comfort in your ride, then you’ll have to wait a little longer for a puncture-proof solution.
