It’s easy to be sceptical about anyone who says they’re revolutionising tyre design. After all, they are literally trying to re-invent the wheel. Yet if you’re convinced that there’s nothing left to innovate in the world of rubber, tread depth and air pressure, then this AutoExpress article is well worth a read.
In it, the journalists travel to Goodyear in Luxembourg in order to view the latest tyre developments and sneak a peak at the wheels of the future. As they discover, what Goodyear have produced in recent years is already miraculous: the BH-03, for example uses the movement and heat of the tyre to generate electricity, which created the potential for on-board electronics to gather and transmit data about the road and tyre conditions.
But it’s what they still have in store that’s truly impressive. In 20-30 years the company believes that its Eagle 360 tyre design, which has a spherical shape and a brain that moulds its bionic skin to suit the road surface, will actually be in production.
Between now and then, however, the company expects to see the development of smaller tyres carrying heavier loads, due to the proliferation of battery packs, as well as an increase in chip-in-tyre technology to aid the advancements in automated vehicles. The latter also could spell the end of humans having to worry about checking and maintaining their own tyres, leading to much safer driving conditions for everyone on the road.
Lastly, the article features a fascinating insight into how the company designs and manufactures new tread patterns, a process which takes about two years from start to finish. It’s worth reading to get a sense of how much hard work goes into crafting every inch of your tyre – and it certainly makes you appreciate the four rubber rings that help you get from A to B every day!
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