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Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

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Re: Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

#51
post #45

>Through its Vision Concept, the company wants to make tires that are airless, rechargeable, connected, and sustainable. 1) airless, check. 2) rechargeable ?? 3) connected ?? 4) sustainable ??

The embedded video seems to show that you can 3d-print on top of an existing tire, which would let you "recharge" for a certain number of km. It's also more sustainable that way.

Re: Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

#52
post #45

>Through its Vision Concept, the company wants to make tires that are airless, rechargeable, connected, and sustainable. 1) airless, check. 2) rechargeable ?? 3) connected ?? 4) sustainable ??

Buzzword stuffing.

With regard to sustainable, well, I guess they could return to the jungles of Malaysia and Brazil for caoutchouc…

Re: Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

#54
post #45

>Through its Vision Concept, the company wants to make tires that are airless, rechargeable, connected, and sustainable. 1) airless, check. 2) rechargeable ?? 3) connected ?? 4) sustainable ??

Rechargeable: Adding tread.

Connected: Reports tread status and configuration, e.g. to inform the driver that he should change to a winter tire tread.

Sustainable: Recycled and recyclable.

Re: Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

#55

There have been a number of reports of components of rubber tiers being harmful to humans[1] or the broader environment[2] beyond the waste issue, would be interesting to know if these manage to improve on that. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/11/pollutin... [2] https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/04/scientists-point-to-c...

If it's biodegradable, that would help. Only what remains of the tires ends up in landfills/recycled. The rest is a major contributor to microplastics in our oceans. The tires don't just erode into nothing. Those particles (mixed with particles from the road service) become dust that ends up in sewers when it rains, which drain to rivers, which drain to oceans. By the time the tire is used up, we're talking a sizable amount of material. Vulcanized rubber is nasty; it doesn't really break down (that is the whole point of vulcanizing) that easily and is also toxic.

Re: Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

#56
post #45

>Through its Vision Concept, the company wants to make tires that are airless, rechargeable, connected, and sustainable. 1) airless, check. 2) rechargeable ?? 3) connected ?? 4) sustainable ??

>rechargeable

>sustainable

"retreadable" but the marketing department didn't think that had sufficient appeal for the demographics the press release was targeted it.

Re: Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

#58
post #45

>Through its Vision Concept, the company wants to make tires that are airless, rechargeable, connected, and sustainable. 1) airless, check. 2) rechargeable ?? 3) connected ?? 4) sustainable ??

Rechargeable: Adding tread. Connected: Reports tread status and configuration, e.g. to inform the driver that he should change to a winter tire tread. Sustainable: Recycled and recyclable.

>Connected: Reports tread status and configuration, e.g. to inform the driver that he should change to a winter tire tread.

That sounds like everything that's terrible about printer ink but with the decimal moved once to the right.

I can imagine a world where your tires stop working because you had them re-treaded with a tread pattern or the OEM won't honor a warranty item because you didn't use an approved brand of retread.

Re: Michelin's airless tires are scheduled for market launch in 2024

#59
post #33

In 'The Wide Lens' by Ron Adner, he uses Michelin's run-flat tire initiative (PAX) to show how brilliant innovations can fall flat (sorry, couldn't resist) if the entire ecosystem / supply chain is not enabled. 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.

Aren't a lot of tires these days self sealing? Different system but also innovation but without the downsides of PAX.
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