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> Rechargeable, connected and sustainable Hmm. Do these have batteries and computers inside? Do they have to? Making things “smart” usually decreases the time span.
how else to add planned obsolescence to such a durable product?
GOOD point by my wife, why don’t we work on puncture resistance instead? Reinforce the tires with Kevlar or carbon fiber?
Because traditional tires wear down over time even if they aren’t punctured. The goal is to make ones that last longer than that. Also, airless tires are puncture proof by definition.
In the case of PAX, the service stations (75% of the market is replacement) were not ready.
Hopefully, Michelin has the full ecosystem enabled in this case, as this seems promising.
Even if these tires aren't good enough for the snobs who want everything to be silent and handle perfectly they'll be great for trailers, yard trucks and other rarely used vehicles that rack up few miles and run run old-ish tires (which tend to be more plagued by slow leaks and whatnot) but still need to go highway speed.
Road noise isn't just a driver aesthetic preference, it's a form of pollution that has direct impacts on human and animal health. I could still be convinced that the sustainability or safety (from fewer blowouts) gains of these would outweigh that, but it's important to consider beings outside of the auto cabin.
Even if these tires aren't good enough for the snobs who want everything to be silent and handle perfectly they'll be great for trailers, yard trucks and other rarely used vehicles that rack up few miles and run run old-ish tires (which tend to be more plagued by slow leaks and whatnot) but still need to go highway speed.
Michelin has been selling these under the "Tweel" name[0] for skid steers, commercial lawn mowers, and other mid-sized wheeled equipment for several years now. Supposedly, they improve the handling and ride of the equipment since the Tweel's internal structure flexes more than an air-filled tire and therefore adds more of a suspension to the tractor. [0] https://tweel.michelinman.com/light-construction-products.ht...
Various manufacturers have been teasing "airless" prototypes for highway use for a long time. I hope this one actually goes somewhere.
GOOD point by my wife, why don’t we work on puncture resistance instead? Reinforce the tires with Kevlar or carbon fiber?
I don’t think carbon fibre would be of any use here, it’s not super strong against high transversal forces AFAIK. It’d mostly be useful for sidewall rigidity (and I’d be surprised if it didn’t already exist).
What impact does this tire have on car mileage?
GOOD point by my wife, why don’t we work on puncture resistance instead? Reinforce the tires with Kevlar or carbon fiber?
Because traditional tires wear down over time even if they aren’t punctured. The goal is to make ones that last longer than that. Also, airless tires are puncture proof by definition.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because traditional tires wear down over time even if they aren’t punctured. The goal is to make ones that last longer than that. Also, airless tires are puncture proof by definition.
Airless tires will still wear out though. That’s the nature of friction with the road. The important one is: how much more durable are these compared to your normal rubber ones?
> Rechargeable, connected and sustainable Hmm. Do these have batteries and computers inside? Do they have to? Making things “smart” usually decreases the time span.