As many motorists who have needed vehicle recovery expertise after a flat tyre will agree, traditional tyre technology is in urgent need of an update.
And at long last, that update is here, in the form of the Michelin Tweel airless tyre.
The French firm has opened a new plant in South Carolina,USA, which will manufacture the new tyres. Each Tweel comprises a robust hub connected to a sheer beam with unique polyurethane spokes, which deform as and when required.
As yet the new tyre will only feature on commercial wheeled equipment as found in the landscaping, construction and agriculture sectors. It will also be fitted to some John Deere mowers as standard.
Puntureless?
But for the general mass car market, Michelin's other tyre invention, the 'puncture proof’ Selfseal, is perhaps of more interest.
Last week Michelin demonstrated how the Selfseal could be driven over three inch spikes with no resultant adverse effects on the given car's performance.
A special rubber-based compound is found inside the tyre, which plugs any hole that develops – straight away.
The new tyres, which are due to go on sale next year, are presently aimed at private cars and light commercial vehicles.
The French tyre giant believes Southeast Asian nations will provide a large market for the tyre, where the average driver suffers a puncture every 1,150 miles. That compares to just once every 75,000 miles in Europe.
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