It’s hard to imagine a world without fear of a blown out tire - or is it? General Motors has teamed up with Michelin to incorporate airless tires into its vehicles by the year 2024.
But, the association has brought forth a lot of questions; What advantages do airless tires have over regular tires? And, does General Motors see airless tires being sustainable enough for further association with Michelin?
We’re moving further into the twenty-first century and it’s about time we leave the usual, potentially deflatable tire in the past. Virtually every component of an automobile has changed; from it’s headlights to tail lights. But, there wasn’t a suitable enough alternative for a tire.
Well, now there is! Michelin, a tire manufacturing company, has been developing their UPTIS, airless tires for quite some time now.
The ‘Unique-Puncture-Proof-Tire-System,’ or UPTIS, will be incorporated into General Motors vehicles. Particularly in their next generation electric car - essentially, super cars at this point!
Airless tires, non-pneumatic tires, or flat free tires are three names for the same thing - a tire that isn’t supported by air pressure. It’s important to understand that the concept of airless tires isn’t new. In fact, the heavy-loading bearing capacity of airless tires has made them a prime choice for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks.
However, airless tires haven’t been properly incorporated into cars. The keyword here is properly. Airless tires have been used for cars in the past, but there’d be one problem or another in it’s sustainability; high production cost, driver comfort, and bulk of the tire itself.
General Motors announced in 2019 that they planned on incorporating airless tires into their vehicles by 2024. The news was quickly followed by an announcement that Michelin and General Motors will be working closely to turn that dream into a reality. How? Michelin’s UPTIS, airless tires will debut probably later this year for trial runs. If the trials are successful, the next-generation Chevy Bolt from General Motors will feature
Breaking a century long tradition of using air-filled, pneumatic tires in their vehicles, General Motors is now looking to switch things up! While the car manufacturer is yet to announce which one of their vehicles will debut the Michelin UPTIS, there’s a strong predisposition for it to be the Chevy Bolt. Or, General Motors could have an all-new EV nameplate for the UPTIS.
Now, what advantages are there for airless tires over regular, pneumatic ones? Michelin’s UPTIS might look like a regular tire from afar, but as you come closer you’ll notice that the tire is practically see-through. The UPTIS isn’t your regular tire for obvious reasons - it’s a complex composite structure instead of a traditional tubular network.
16 мар 2022
