Airless Tires – The Way of the Future?

As cars evolve to keep up with the persistent demands of technology, so do tires. The latest news from the tire industry is pretty exciting. Just last week, Hankook tires confirmed the successful test of its new, airless tires.

That’s right, one day soon you might be able to purchase airless tires from you local tire stores Cincinnati.

But, airless tires aren’t the only new tires looming large in the future. Development on a wide range of concept tires has been well underway and is steadily rolling forward. Take a look and see where these innovative tires are headed…

Tires Without Air…And That’s a Good Thing

Usually when we think of tires without air, we think flat tire. Or puncture. Followed by some choice phrase or word best left unsaid for the sake of this post.

Tires without air are useless. So, why are manufacturers bothering to develop non-pneumatic, or airless, tires?

Simply because doing so eliminates the problematic part of this puzzle, which is the air itself.

Just think of how many sites you’ve stumbled across which expound the virtues of tire pressure, tire gauges, and the importance of PSI, all the while cautioning you to know your manufacturer’s exact recommendation for inflating your tires.

Thanks to the development efforts started in 2011 by Hankook, all of that could be a thing of the past, and possibly even sooner than you think.

Hankook’s iFlex tire is a non-pneumatic tire which successfully maintained its form and performance in recent tests on an electric vehicle.

Constructed of polyurethane synthetic materials, the iFlex is able to conserve energy and reduce the use of hazardous materials.

The iFlex withstood zig-zagging maneuvers at speeds up to eighty miles per hour.

Pretty impressive figures that certainly look promising enough for future production.

The good news from a consumer-standpoint is that Hankook already has some competition.

Bridgestone’s Baby

The premier Japanese tire manufacturer, Bridgestone, has created an air-free tire, which was introduced in 2013 at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Inspired by a “cradle to cradle,” environmentally-conscious creation model, the Bridgestone air-free tire is made from recycled tires which have been shaped into a new spoke structure based in a very strong, but very flexible material called thermoplastic resin 1, which can be easily recycled.

With these tires, the weight of the vehicle is supported by the interlacing spoke structure, rather than air pressure.

They have an unmistakable look, which Bridgestone would like to showcase in future productions.

Although we don’t know how well Bridgestone’s air-free tires did with respect to speed and handling, like Hankook’s, we do know that these tires are more energy-efficient as compared to pneumatic tires.

An estimated ninety percent of energy is lost from the repeated changes in the tire’s shape as it rolls. The structure of these new Bridgestone airless tires returns very low rolling resistance, decreasing overall CO2 emissions, and conserving energy.

No news yet on when we might see these tires on the road, but it seems plausible to expect production to kick off sooner than later, especially now that Hankook has entered the race.

Speaking of Hankook…this tire manufacturer might be a real game changer when it comes to the tire industry in general.

Rather than restrict their research to non-pneumatic tires, check out these other constructions, tires that Hankook has dubbed “shape changers.”

Are These Tires or Transformers?

Actually, they are both. Behold, Hankook’s “shape changers,” three tires that have been designed to transform their own performance against shifting terrain.

Introduced at last year’s Essen Motor Show in Germany, where Hankook paired with the University of Design, Engineering, and Business in a project designed to further tire innovation, the final products turned heads.

Take, for example, the Boostrac, a tire with hexagonal tread that can change up its traction to help a vehicle power through sand or conquer steep, mountainous grades.

Or the Alpike, a red and black beast that makes the most durable snow tires look like they tumbled off a tricycle. The Alpike can stretch its own circumference so that the spots between the tread and studs get a firmer grip on frozen roads.

Finally, the HyBlade, a turquoise and black construction naturally makes you think of water, which is exactly why it was designed. The HyBlade has fins, yep fins, which can pop out in order to paddle a vehicle through water.

Check out the action from each one in this very fun and futuristic clip:

Where Hankook focused on shape changers, Bridgestone created its own shape shifter.

Think True Blood meets tires…

Shape Shifting, Triple Time

Using three tubes hidden away inside the tire, the Goodyear Triple Tube tire design is able to change shape in order to enhance performance based on driving conditions.

A pump moves air between the three tubes, shifting the tire into three different positions. You can think of the positions as optional driving modes.

Eco or Safety mode results after the tubes have fully inflated, which lessens rolling resistance. Wet Traction mode inflates only the center tube to reduce any risk of aquaplaning in wet weather conditions. Sporty mode features firmer contact and grip with the road, thanks to air pumped to the inboard tube.

Just in case shape-shifting wasn’t thrilling enough, Goodyear amped up the action with electricity.

The BH03 Leads the Charge

Big news for the EV industry, especially, Goodyear successfully developed and tested a concept tire called the BH03. The beauty of this tire is that is generates electricity. All by itself.

Able to harness the heat resulting from flexing while in motion on the road, the BH03 generates electricity, which could make for even more efficient cars, particularly on those already boasting incredible fuel economy in the EV line.

With all this tire talk to do with shape-shifting, electricity, an airless technology, should it come as a surprise that Nokian has created a tire out of crystals?

Crystal Clear Innovation

The Cryo Crystal is Nokian’s answer to questions and concerns raised by the safety issues associated with stud tires.

Stud tires are outstanding when it comes to enhanced traction and grip on icy roads; however, they do pose some concerns with respect to driver safety and their overall impact on road surfaces in warmer weather.

Released only in Russia and Ukraine, starting in 2013, the Cryo Crystal has a stud-like surface, made from diamond hard crystalline particles that are built on the rubber compound of the tire.

What you get is improved lateral and longitudinal grip from tires that are now able to come to a complete stop significantly faster than the stud tires which came before them.

Their predecessor stud tires presented serious wear and tear, but this new Cryo Crystal benefits from use, as the wear inspires the internal crystalline particles to come to the surface, which means greater grip.

Just as durable in challenging weather as the original stud tires, the Cryo Crystals are treated with a silica-based compound called Cryo-Silance, which safeguards the tires against the elements, making them some of the toughest tires out there.

It’s hard to imagine that tires would ever be so exciting.

But with this all this innovation and cutting-edge technology, it’s already tough to wait for those concepts to become reality and take to the roads. For now, stay alert for updates on these ever-evolving tires. After all, some things are worth the wait…