in the late 1800s. Tire treads came next, then synthetic rubber, then tubeless tires. The radial tire was invented in the 1950s and the run-flat around 1979. Since then, compound formulas have changed, but there have been no major, mass production leaps forward.
Tires are a significant source of microplastics, small bits of plastic generally undetectable to the human eye, which remain in ecosystems and take extended periods of time to break down. They can also make their way into human and animal bloodstreams and have been found in the depths of the ocean and on mountaintops.Many tiremakers, including Michelin, are committed to lessening their environmental footprint. The SMART Tire Company takes that ethos a step further.
In the promotional videos above, the tire is shown as bare metal on simulated surfaces. But when these tires make it to consumers, they'll look and feel a lot more like traditional tires, with a rubber tread patch and a metal structure acting as the inner skeleton that provides all of the structure and shape normally provided by air pressure.The SMART Tire Company
The tires weigh a little less than conventional tires, and have very low rolling resistance, which translates to energy efficiency and increased range. Yennie says the greatest benefits will be in long haul trucking because an airless tire allows them to switch from 16 trailer tires to eight wider ones. Wide tires get better fuel economy but are not often used in trucking because redundancy for punctured tires is a higher priority.