Michelin’s airtight tires take precedence over Chevrolet’s next-gen EVs

24/02/2022 Drive Pilots

As we know, the tires will not exist for the next few years.

GM and Michelin Aptismichelin

Chevrolet’s next-gen Bolt Electric vehicle will come with General Motors (GM) and Michelin working airtight tires. The next-gen EV will hit the streets in the next three to five years.

In an interview with CNN Business, Michelin reports directly from North American President Alexis Garcin. “We want to bring the next generation of the Chevrolet Bolt with airtight tires and this is going to happen in the next three to five years,” said Garcin.

GM has yet to confirm its next-gen EV name, but it’s no secret that GM and Michelin are coordinating their efforts to bring airtight tires to automakers’ EVs.

Tireless tires

Michelin has been working on creating the best airtight tire since 2005, and it was only last year that tire manufacturers took its puncture-proof tires for the first time in EVs – the Chevrolet Bolt, no less.

Are airless tires the future?

Airtight tires use a flexible rib system to create a spring and the tire is not easily punctured as it contains zero air. Reducing tire blowouts will keep drivers and passengers safe, as tire blowouts cause about 78,000 accidents per year in the US.

Naturally, there are challenges to airless tires – there’s a reason we’ve been using pneumatic tires for over a century. The pressure air in the tires allows us to customize our tires for specific uses: for example when switching from off-road to damper. Being able to change the pressure on our tires helps to make the ride smoother.

On top of that, vehicles are made keeping in mind current tires. If all vehicles are switched to airtight tires, major revisions may occur.

In all likelihood, switching from pneumatic tires to anaerobic ones has an environmental impact on our planet. Unused tires are usually found on every landfill or on the roadside dunes, but the airless ones are being made more environmentally friendly, using raw materials to make them. On top of that, hopefully there will be fewer punctures, less tires on landfills.

FAQ

Are airless tires the future?

Windless tires are coming for the future

How long do airless tires last?

Michelin says there is no way to know how long the tire will last. Drivers should inspect the tires for a maximum of five years. It is rumored that airless tires are three times more durable than conventional tires

How do airless tires work?

When the tweel is placed on the road, the spokes absorb the effects of the road in the same way as air pressure on pneumatic tires. As the spokes are curved, the tread and scissor bands temporarily deform, then quickly return to shape. Twells can be made with different speaking tensions, allowing for different handling characteristics

How many airless tires?

QuietTrack tires cost about $ 133 a piece

Why don’t we use airtight tires?

This is because airless tires have high rolling resistance and build heat when in action. Plus, it interferes with smooth running and increases the weight of the wheel. This is why automakers never want to automobile with airtight tires

Is the airtight tire safe?

Because these tires are not airtight, they are not likely to flatten. Stains and materials without air tires are powerful enough to withstand the risks or forces that damage or destroy ordinary tires.

What are the 4 main components of tires?

Tires may include natural rubber, synthetic rubber, steel, nylon, silica (derived from sand), polyester, carbon black, and petroleum. See photos of tire materials here

What are most tires made of?

Rubber, Today tires contain about 19 percent natural rubber and 24 percent synthetic rubber, which is a plastic polymer. The rest is made of metal and other compounds

Do airtight tires have sidewalls?

These airless tires rely on flexible plastic vans to achieve compliance with various road surfaces and driving dynamics. From there, the advantages are foreseen: nails cause minor irritation and sidewall cuts that are usually not corrected by the tire are no longer possible.

What are the 3 primary materials used in making rubber tires?

The job of the tire is to create a safer and more efficient connection between the road and the vehicle. Rubber (natural and synthetic), carbon black and some raw materials used in sulfur tire production

What’s inside the tire?

Body ply is usually a sheet of polyester material and is slightly rubberized

Where are the tires made?

Goodyear brand tires based in Ohio are manufactured in Canada, Chile, Turkey and the U.S. Firestone tires are available in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, the US and are sourced from Vietnam. And the tires we tested from Milan-based Pirelli are made in Brazil, Italy, Mexico and Russia

What characteristics does a tire have?

Ability. Rubber, in addition to being flexible, is more durable, even more so after the tire has gone through the vulcanization process. Rubber tires are strong enough to hold the air pressure required to function properly and resist puncture from materials such as sharp stones on the road.

What are the types of tire construction?

1: Structure of the tire.

2: Rim Edge Connection.

3: The metal structure surrounding the metal structure.

4: Cross Ply and Radial Tire

sources: General Motors / Michelin