Fancy a car tyre that never punctures, whose particles biodegrade before washing into the environment, whose tread pattern can be re-shaped — in minutes — to suit the road conditions? It’s on its way now, thanks to cutting-edge technology from Michelin.
Unveiled at the tyre giant’s Movin’On sustainable mobility conference in Montreal, the total package is some years off, but aspects of it will be incorporated into tyres coming to the market within years.
The lightweight Vision concept tyre will last the lifetime of the car, be made of entirely recyclable material and will be airless.
Sensors buried inside the wheel will monitor its — and the road’s — condition, sending data to an app, which will also be capable of making an appointment with a tyre firm, perhaps if snow or ice are forecast.
The tyre will then be re-shaped in a drive-through service using digital printing techniques, without the tyres being removed from the car, re-forming the tread depth and pattern.
Terry K Gettys, executive vice president of research and development at Michelin, told me:
“It will take 10 to 20 years for us to develop the tyre. You might think it’s a dream and you’re right — it is a long-term dream, but a realistic dream.”
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