Michelin announces airless tyre deal with General Motors

[GhostSixFour]

LOL, that would make it worse if mud got in, and it would look pretty horrible!? IMO there really is no need for side protection, but I can see a business opportunity for cleaning stones out of the wheels/tyres (not sure what to call them).

Imagine how high you can chrome your wheels with this tech

 

[Toxxyc]

I remember seeing this a long time ago. Only worry I would have is if they're "rotate inward" under heavy acceleration, but that's about it. This is awesome.

 

[hellfire]

Yes that is what I would prefer /s

That wheel is just going over 3 little stones and look how far it bends in. Now imagine hiting a pot hole.

What do you think is happening to your regular tyre?

 

[PhireSide]

I remember seeing this a long time ago. Only worry I would have is if they're "rotate inward" under heavy acceleration, but that's about it. This is awesome.

I actually wonder how much side flex a tyre like this would have compared to a conventional pneumatic one, when cornering for example

 

[Toxxyc]

I actually wonder how much side flex a tyre like this would have compared to a conventional pneumatic one, when cornering for example

I was thinking the same, but my mind keeps telling me "dude, you drive a slow SUV like a granny", so then I go "who cares, I'm not going to use the tyres to that extent anyway". So eh?

 

[Pitbull]

I saw a Chinese inventor which has a gel type insert in the inside of the tyre about 4 inches thick. It's can't be punctured.

 

[Toxxyc]

I saw a Chinese inventor which has a gel type insert in the inside of the tyre about 4 inches thick. It's can't be punctured.

Gell filling is an option, but the downside is weight. Drastically increases fuel consumption when you fill a tyre.

 

[Gordon_R]

I actually wonder how much side flex a tyre like this would have compared to a conventional pneumatic one, when cornering for example

My very first post on this thread was a question about durability. Rubber tyres are well understood, durable, and cost effective. We have no numbers for these new tyres, and real world conditions are always tougher than a test track. Inagine hitting the kerb, and finding that you need to replace the whole wheel?

 

[The_MAC]

How do you stop objects (glass, stones etc.) from going into the crevices on the tyre?

Or is that open look just for demo?

 

[Toxxyc]

Heh, how long do you guys think before someone sticks a pole through a tyre like that when someone's parked in an effort to hijack them?

 

[Pitbull]

Gell filling is an option, but the downside is weight. Drastically increases fuel consumption when you fill a tyre.

Not a filling. It's an actual gel insert inside the tyre even before it's fitted. Will try and find a link somewhere.

 

[supersunbird]

Heh, how long do you guys think before someone sticks a pole through a tyre like that when someone's parked in an effort to hijack them?

Why don't they just hijack you when you get back to your car? Why do they not just stick the pole thought the current mag spokes or whatever?

Or are we going to have "watch out for the pole through your tyre" warnings on whatsapp, just like the "paper left on your rear window" or "removed your numberplate and showing it to you as they drive beside you" ones?

 

[Toxxyc]

Why don't they just hijack you when you get back to your car? Why do they not just stick the pole thought the current mag spokes or whatever?

Or are we going to have "watch out for the pole through your tyre" warnings on whatsapp, just like the "paper left on your rear window" or "removed your numberplate and showing it to you as they drive beside you" ones?

I have no idea. It's not going to stop me from considering these tyres as an option when I get new ones on my car.

 

[supersunbird]

I have no idea. It's not going to stop me from considering these tyres as an option when I get new ones on my car.

I would go and buy those tyres today if I could.

 

[PhireSide]

I was thinking the same, but my mind keeps telling me "dude, you drive a slow SUV like a granny", so then I go "who cares, I'm not going to use the tyres to that extent anyway". So eh?

I wouldn't say that it's explicitly at fast driving that this would matter.

If you slow down from say 40kph to 20 or 25kph to make a 90-degree turn while braking, a lot of your car's weight will be transferred to the outer front wheel due to the centre of mass changing.

From Wikipedia:

Weight transfer is generally of far less practical importance than load transfer, for cars and SUVs at least. For instance in a 0.9g turn, a car with a track of 1650 mm and a CoM height of 550 mm will see a load transfer of 30% of the vehicle weight, that is the outer wheels will see 60% more load than before, and the inners 60% less. Total available grip will drop by around 6% as a result of this load transfer. At the same time, the CoM of the vehicle will typically move laterally and vertically, relative to the contact patch by no more than 30 mm, leading to a weight transfer of less than 2%, and a corresponding reduction in grip of 0.01%.

This lateral movement of the tyres is what would be of particular interest to me, but I do suppose that the slim engineers behind it have adjusted and compensated for this

 

[FiestaST]

World's First Airless Puncture Proof Car Tyre! - Mr JWW

 

[FiestaST]

Stay woke.

Post has aged well

 

[Mekon]

These are probably going to be passenger vehicle tyres only. Probably have a speed and load restriction of some sort. I wonder if the rim is designed differently to accomodate these tyres?

 

[FiestaST]

 

[supersunbird]

Post has aged well

Not!

Imagine driving over the road spikers spikes and just continuing as normal, throwing them a middle finger as you go along.