Conventional tubeless tires may soon be a thing of the past because General Motors and Michelin have jointly unveiled a prototype of an airless tire. It is called Uptis, short for Unique Puncture-proof Tire System, and has been made by Michelin for passenger cars. However, you will have to wait for some years before buying a car for sale that actually uses these tires!
Uptis Is A Variant Of Tweel Meant For Passenger Cars
Back in 2005, Michelin introduced Tweel, an air-free concept. Uptis can be said to be a production-ready variant of that and is meant for passenger vehicles. Tweel, on the other hand, is being made for non-passenger autos, especially the ones used on farms and construction sites.
Looks-wise, Uptis looks a lot like Tweel. This means, it doesn’t look as good as conventional tires, but Michelin says it’s just as comfortable, and that’s what counts. It’s made of composite rubber and fiberglass embedded with resin. This will help the tire work well at highway speeds, which is great considering the fact that earlier prototypes could only operate at slow speeds.
The Uptis concept is a significant step towards the Vision prototype that Michelin revealed in 2017 for sustainable mobility during the Movin’On Summit. The company ultimately aims to replace the wheel and tire with a full assembly unit for passenger cars.
Airless Tires Offer A Lot Of Benefits
Uptis will offer plenty of financial, safety, and environmental benefits. While it will not be completely invincible and its life will probably not be infinite, you wouldn’t have to worry about flat tires and blowouts. It will also need less energy and less material during the manufacturing process. Apart from that, it can be counted upon to get rid of irregular wear issues that stem from over or under-inflation.
With The Impending Arrival Of Self-Driving Cars, Uptis Makes All The More Sense
Michelin and GM also believe that airless tires will become all the more important when electric and autonomous vehicles become ubiquitous. With an airless tire, commuters will not have to worry about keeping a spare tire, which is great as extra items add weight and reduce fuel economy. Moreover, autonomous vehicles will be able to stay on the road longer without worrying about a sharp object on the road puncturing the tire. According to Michelin’s estimates, 200 million tires are scrapped every year for early replacement because of blowouts and irregular wear.
Thankfully, this doesn’t seem like a concept which will never be commercialized. GM plans to start testing the Uptis later this year in Michigan on Chevy Bolts. The final product is expected to arrive in 2024. However, GM hasn’t said which car the tire will make a debut with.
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