Michelin’s ingenious new tires ensure you’ll never get a flat again

Michelin’s(ˈmiSHəlen) ingenious(inˈjēnyəs) new tires(tīr) ensure you’ll never get a flat(flat) again

They’re completely(kəmˈplētlē) airless(ˈerləs). And they should be on the market by 2024.

By Mark Wilson(ˈwilsən)

There’s no force in the universe(ˈyo͞onəˌvərs) more humbling(ˈhəmbəl) than a flat tire. Here you are, god of combustion(kəmˈbəsCHən) engines(ˈenjən), cruising(kro͞oz) effortlessly(ˈefərtləslē) at 40 miles(mīl) per hour in your Kia crossover(ˈkrôsˌōvər) with half a Costco’s worth of steamy(ˈstēmē) rotisserie(rōˈtisərē) chickens in the back when, bdump bdump bdump. And then the inner monologue(ˈmänəlˌôɡ, ˈmänəlˌäɡ) begins: Oh no. Not me. This couldn’t be happening to me. I drive a gently used 2016 Sorento!

But now the tire manufacturer(ˌmanyəˈfakCHərər) Michelin and the car giant(ˈjīənt) GM are teaming up to eliminate(əˈliməˌnāt) the problem. How? By taking the air out of tires altogether.

Michelin is developing a tire called the Uptis (or Unique(yo͞oˈnēk) Puncture(ˈpəNGkCHər)-proof(pro͞of) Tire System), which is a tire that cannot ever go flat or blow(blō) out because it doesn’t require air to stay rigid(ˈrijid). Instead, the Uptis features an internal system of flexible(ˈfleksəbəl) spokes(spōk) that support the tire.

The Uptis is a working prototytpe(ˈprōtəˌtīp) that will begin testing on some Chevy(ˈSHevē) Bolt(bōlt) models this year in Michigan(ˈmiSHigən). By 2024, the two companies hope to release(rəˈlēs) the Uptis on a commercially(kəˈmərSHəlē) available(əˈvāləbəl) vehicle(ˈvēəkəl,ˈvēˌhikəl).

Airless tires are not an entirely new idea. They already exist(igˈzist) in the world of cycling(ˈsīk(ə)liNG), and even Michelin sells something called the Tweel for lawnmowers(ˈlônˌmō(ə)r). The Tweel looks a whole lot like a mini version(ˈvərZHən) of the Uptis, with the same rubbery(ˈrəb(ə)rē) spokes in the middle of the tire. As the Tweel’s marketing materials(məˈti(ə)rēəl) explain(ikˈsplān), those spokes don’t merely(ˈmi(ə)rlē) replace the need for air, they work like mini shock(SHäk) absorbers(əbˈzôrb, əbˈsôrb), deforming(dəˈfôrm) to bumps(bəmp) to ensure a smoother(smo͞oT͟H) ride(rīd) than a bouncier(ˈbounsē), inflated(inˈflādəd) tire offers today. Yet the car industry has been shy to adopt(əˈdäpt) airless tires because, when properly(ˈpräpərlē) contained(kənˈtān), air is in many ways the perfect material for a tire. Air is virtually(ˈvərCHə(wə)lē) weightless, so it doesn’t impact a vehicle’s performance and efficiency(əˈfiSHənsē). Air can also be hit(hit) with bump(bəmp) after bump and it doesn’t lose(lo͞oz) any structural(ˈstrəkCHərəl) integrity(inˈteɡrədē). After all, it’s just air.

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https://www.fastcompany.com/90359254/michelins-ingenious-new-tires-ensure-youll-never-get-a-flat-again