Airless Tire Takes Off
Takes Off
GREENVILLE, SC -- It looks like a tire that's had its sidewalls torn off, but the Michelin Tweel is actually a combination of a tire and wheel, and it's designed to run without air. Using flexible spokes attached to a flexible wheel, the Tweel "envelopes road hazards" instead of bouncing off them, according to Michelin. While the Tweel is in production for uses on several Segway vehicles, it's still in the testing stage for automotive use, where speeds are higher and the loads are heavier.
Michelin says that it has improved lateral stiffness on the design, which will make it handle better on cars and that it is working on reducing rolling resistance in automotive applications. If they succeed, the tire gauge, spare and jack may disappear just like chrome bumpers.
(Photos courtesy of Michelin)