Punctures always seem to strike at the most irksome times. Scrambling around on the ground to change a wheel in the wet on the side of a busy road is a sure way to ruin any journey. And punctures can be extremely dangerous, especially if a tyre blows out at high speed on a motorway. For decades carmakers have sought various solutions, but with new materials and novel manufacturing methods, a genuinely puncture-proof car tyre has finally appeared.

This summer Michelin and General Motors (gm) will begin testing a prototype airless tyre on a fleet of Chevrolet Bolt electric cars. Although it does not need to be inflated, the self-supporting tyre is said to produce the ride and handling of a standard pneumatic tyre. And being airless, it is thus immune from punctures. The French tyremaker and the American car giant call the tyre Uptis (for “unique puncture-proof tyre system). Provided the trials in Michigan go well, the two partners reckon Uptis tyres could be available for cars by 2024.


www. economist.com

Nice idea

The rate at which articles are repeated in this section enh

RZArecta2:
The rate at which articles are repeated in this section enh

I haven't seen a related article before this was posted.