Automotive Revolution: Michelin's New Airless Tire Could Be The Future For Electric Vehicles And More

Automotive Revolution: Michelin’s New Airless Tire Could Be The Future For Electric Vehicles And More

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 28/08/2024 at 19:35

Updated on 28/08/2024 at 19:36

Foto: Reprodução

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Innovation That Will Transform the Industry: Michelin’s Airless Tire Points the Way to the Future of Robotaxis, Electric Vehicles, and Other Mobility Solutions

Michelin, known for its conventional tires, is now paving the way for the future with its technology of airless tires. Cyrille Roget, the company’s director of scientific and technical communications, recently stated to Green Car Reports that he firmly believes in this innovation for several reasons.

He highlighted that globally, 20% of tires are discarded prematurely due to damages such as punctures and sidewall cuts. With approximately 1.6 billion tires reaching the end of their useful life annually, this represents about 320 million tires that could be saved by the new technology.

Innovation with the Michelin Uptis

The Michelin Uptis (Unique Puncture-proof Tire System) is a prototype that not only aims to minimize environmental impact but also provide tangible benefits in terms of durability and maintenance. Airless tires weigh more than traditional ones, but eliminate the need for replacement and maintenance equipment, such as jacks and pressure sensors. Additionally, these tires provide a safer and more consistent ride, preventing punctures and blowouts.

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Development and Testing

In 2019, Michelin and GM collaborated to test the Uptis on the Chevy Bolt EV. Although the conclusions of these tests have not yet been disclosed, the technology promises to be a revolution. Additionally, in 2023, Michelin began testing with DHL Express in Singapore and with the French postal service La Poste, equipping about 50 vehicles from each fleet with Uptis tires to collect valuable data.

This technology, still in the prototype stage, is new territory for Michelin, which has over 130 years of experience with conventional tires. According to Roget, there is much to learn about the design, production, and approval of these new tires, with tests scheduled until the end of 2025.

Strategic Partnerships and Future

Michelin is also in negotiations with Tesla to explore the use of Uptis in future robotaxis, combining it with technologies such as wireless charging for electric vehicles. Although it is a prototype, Michelin has obtained an exception to test the tires under real road conditions.

Other manufacturers, such as Hankook, Bridgestone, and Goodyear, are also exploring airless tires. Toyota and Sumitomo revealed concepts in 2017 that needed improvements in rolling resistance, a challenge still present in this new category of tires.

Sustainable Innovations and Future Vision

In addition to the Uptis, Michelin is developing new materials for its tires, including fiberglass, to achieve performance comparable to modern tires. These tires have been tested internally and have covered over two million miles.

The company is also focusing on more sustainable solutions for electric vehicles, which tend to wear tires out more quickly. This includes the development of tires with sustainable materials, which may contain 42% or more recycled or renewable content in prototypes expected for 2025. Additionally, Michelin is revitalizing retreading technology for trucks, allowing multiple reuse of the tire structure.

Michelin’s innovations are not just technical talk, but a real step toward a more sustainable and efficient industry, with the Uptis at the forefront of this revolution. These developments show that the company not only envisions a future without air-filled tires but also a continuous commitment to improving and sustaining its products.

Automotive Revolution: Michelin’s New Airless Tire Could Be The Future For Electric Vehicles And More

Innovation That Will Transform the Industry: Michelin’s Airless Tire Points the Way to the Future of Robotaxis, Electric Vehicles, and Other Mobility Solutions

Innovation with the Michelin Uptis

Development and Testing

Strategic Partnerships and Future

Sustainable Innovations and Future Vision

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Automotive Revolution: Michelin’s New Airless Tire Could Be The Future For Electric Vehicles And More

Innovation That Will Transform the Industry: Michelin’s Airless Tire Points the Way to the Future of Robotaxis, Electric Vehicles, and Other Mobility Solutions

Innovation with the Michelin Uptis

Development and Testing

Strategic Partnerships and Future

Sustainable Innovations and Future Vision

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

After 14 years of construction and a diplomatic crisis that nearly led to a military confrontation over control of the Nile, Ethiopia inaugurated the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa — the dam is 170 meters high, holds 74 billion cubic meters of water, and generates 5,150 megawatts.

China has just successfully tested the world’s first ground effect maritime vehicle, a craft that flies up to 6 meters above the water at 200 km/h, uses quantum technology and 6G communication, and can rescue patients in the middle of the ocean.

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The R$ 61.7 billion deficit in government accounts in 2025 will trigger the fiscal framework’s mechanisms for the first time, and starting in 2027, personnel spending will only be able to grow 0.6% above inflation, which could freeze salary adjustments and public service entrance exams.

Prepare your heavy umbrella: Maranhão, Piauí, and Ceará go on alert at the end of April with up to 100 mm of rain per day, winds that could reach 100 km/h, risk of flooding and lightning strikes, as the northern coast of the Northeast becomes the main corridor for storms.