[Mark07]

Could we see airless tyres on British roads in the near future?

Like any change, they have pro's and con's, including; never get a flat tyre again, less comfortable ride, reduced MPG/range and potentially cheaper to replace.

Image borrowed from here.

[Drivingforfun]

I decided to apply my usual response to everything which is some (very very basic and rough) maths


I drive on mostly country roads and have replaced 5 tyres due to premature damage in ~160,000 miles. Assuming the tyres are on average already half worn so on their way to needing replacement, this has cost me half the cost of a tyre every 32,000 miles, so very roughly and rounding everything off to make things simple, potholes cost me a quarter of a penny per mile


My car does 36mpg so costs me £0.20 a mile in fuel so potholes add one-eightieth (1/80) of my fuel costs in tyre costs so that’s how much less efficient they could be and not cost me any more money in petrol


Obviously that doesn’t take into account lots of things like having to drive to the tyre shop or losing a few hours of work time due to a flat tyre!!

[Mark07]

I'm probably biased as I've had 4 new tyres n the past 5 years, 3 of which were this year!

But my thoughts are also around the proportion of drivers who don't know (aren't confident) of changing a tyre at the roadside, or how many cars no longer carry a spare.

Albeit a few years old, this article states that ~75% of millennials do not know how to change a tyre - I doubt the percentage in Gen Z will be higher.

[NMNeil]

There is a slight problem though; the price. And these are just ATV tyres, there are no airless car tyres on the market at the moment.
https://www.atvtires.com/product/michelin-x-tweel-tires/

[olduser]

Originally Posted by NMNeil

There is a slight problem though; the price. And these are just ATV tyres, there are no airless car tyres on the market at the moment.
https://www.atvtires.com/product/michelin-x-tweel-tires/

I think I have seen similar stories of similar tyres in development, and far as I remember overheating at speed has been the insurmountable problem.
Also rolling resistance was an issue.
As I read it, the link is emphasising low speed use.

I wonder what happens if a rock gets into the spokes (if it can happen it will happen")?
(A variation of Murphy's law)

[Rolebama]

These have been around for a few years now on plant vehicles. Whether they are experimental, I don't know. One of the benefits is that they have a much larger footprint which unfortunately is why the rolling resistance is higher. Another problem is the weight, and unsprung weight is bad. However, I believe that experimentation is continuing with lighter compounds, which, at the moment means faster wear rates. Another problem is steering, especially when parking, or carrying out any 'tight' manouevreing.