The rubber hits the road: Tire technology – 2024 and beyond
The trend towards better and more reliable equipment does not stop with glass and steel.
by Kirk Mathieson
Innovation is vital to any industry that wants to thrive in the twenty-first century, and the automotive field is a prime example. From electric vehicles to driver assist technology, advances in design and engineering have changed the way we travel and commute. The trend towards better and more reliable equipment does not stop with glass and steel, however. Here are three consumer tire trends being rolled out today that are worth looking into.
Airless tires
Imagine an extremely durable, puncture- resistant tire that never goes flat and rarely needs replacing. Sound too good to be true? In some ways it is – for all their advantages, airless tires also come with their share of limitations. Because these tires don’t have inner tubes, they don’t absorb vibration as well as conventional pneumatic tires, resulting in greater stress to the vehicle’s suspension system and a less comfortable ride. They also require more material to produce and are thus much heavier than conventional tires; this extra weight can affect fuel consumption and manoeuvrability, particularly with larger industrial vehicles that use outsize tires and need greater shock absorption. And at high speeds, increased friction combined with tire mass can cause heat buildup and damage the tire.
On the other hand, airless tires are ideal for rough or uneven terrain such as mining and construction sites, where there is high risk of punctures or tread damage that could deflate a conventional tire. They are also commonly used on site-specific vehicles like forklifts and golf carts. As the technology evolves and becomes more practical, we may see airless tires becoming more common on the road. One area where this is already happening is cycling. Airless bicycle tires can last two to three times longer, do not need inflating and are virtually puncture-proof.
Self-Supporting Run flat Tires
When a tire is punctured, the tire gets crushed into the wheel rim because a flat inner tube means there’s no structure to support the tire. Enter the run flat: Pneumatic tires with reinforced sidewalls that support the weight of the vehicle in case of a puncture, allowing the car to continue driving until the tire can be safely changed. Some models will remain intact for up to 80 kilometers before needing replacement, giving the driver a window of time to reach a service station or a safe spot to change the tire. Run flats are already a popular option on some car models, and may become a standard item in the near future.
‘Smart’ tires
Even in a time of sweeping changes to the transport and automotive industries, tires may be the last thing on a car that you’d expect to be computerized. But advances like digital tire monitoring and self-inflating tires are already here, and this side of the automotive horizon will likely see even more features being added in the near future. As Karen Jacobs writes in the tires-easy.com blog, “Researchers at the Technodome, Hankook’s new advanced research center, are working on an intelligent tire that can sense road friction, conditions, vehicle overload, and other safety factors.” This information can be relayed to the driver or even to other cars on the road, making everyone’s trip home a safer one.
These are just a few of the innovations happening in the world of tire technology. In the not-to-distant future, when the rubber hits the road, it will be an entirely new landscape. We’d be hard pressed to not meet those changes.
