Are there tires that never go flat

The outer rim—called a shear beam—carries most of the load. The spokes and hub distribute the load across different parts of the shear beam as the tire rolls over objects. Before you get too excited, consider this caveat: the Tweel is not yet ready for vehicles that reach speeds over 50 miles an hour—aka, your car. In product testing, the Tweel was shown to heavily vibrate at high speeds, causing heat and a pretty obnoxious noise.

Michelin's tweels for cars have never been rated for anything but low-speed driving. Part of the reason is that they trap heat. Without air, the heat created from the friction on the road cannot be dissipated, meaning increased chances of overheating, damage, or failure.

Non-pneumatic tires have increased rolling resistance. Rolling resistance means that the more surface area comes in contact with the road, the more drag on the vehicle. With traditional tires aired to the correct PSI, the surface area is reduced, resulting in a smoother, quieter ride.

Airless tires have inadequate suspension for an enjoyable road trip, sacrificing smoothness and sound buffering abilities, resulting in a less comfortable and much noisier ride. The advertised lack of maintenance combined with no need for a spare would tend to indicate an almost indestructible tire.

However, that is far from true. The spokes that create the main structure of the Michelin airless tires can be cut or torn , and the resulting damage can render them unusable. Considering that they are susceptible to overheating, there is also a risk of the tread separating from the outer band and other heat-related deterioration.

If you are traveling across the country or even traveling in your home area during changing seasons, it is sometimes necessary to adjust the air pressure in your tires to adapt to different driving conditions. For instance, it is recommended to reduce the PSI for driving in icy conditions to increase the tread's grip on the road. With airless tires, there is no way to adapt to changing weather conditions or road surfaces.

Technology has provided advances in design and manufacturing in the last few years that most would never have imagined. While off-roaders and adventurers alike are desperate for airless tires for trucks, it may still be a while.

If comes and goes without a realistic alternative to traditional tires, don't despair. There are more companies than just Michelin trying to develop a non-pneumatic tire.

But now tire manufacturer Michelin and the car giant GM are teaming up to eliminate the problem. By taking the air out of tires altogether. Instead, the Uptis features an internal system of flexible spokes that support the tire. The Uptis is a working prototytpe that will begin testing on some Chevy Bolt models this year in Michigan.

By , the two companies hope to release the Uptis on a commercially available vehicle. Airless tires are not an entirely new idea. They already exist in the world of cycling, and even Michelin sells something called the Tweel for lawnmowers. The Tweel looks a whole lot like a mini version of the Uptis, with the same rubbery spokes in the middle of the tire. So, a puncture-resistant tire could potentially revolutionize the auto industry and help keep motorists — both adults and kids — safe from dangerous tire blowouts and flats.

Without the need for compressed air to support the vehicle, the tire can never go flat. Uptis tires are reportedly constructed with fewer raw materials that are entirely renewable and bio-sourced. Michelin will try out the new tires on a fleet of Chevrolet Bolt test cars later this year.