Goodyear’s Own Airless Tire Put to the Test on Tesla Model 3
Michelin is not the only tire maker working on non-pneumatic a.k.a. “airless” tires. Goodyear is doing the same thing and plans to launch the first commercial units by the end of the decade.
The American manufacturer is developing these tires primarily for tomorrow’s electric and autonomous vehicles, which typically don’t carry spares and can’t afford to be slowed down by flats.
This summer, Goodyear started to conduct tests on a self-driving shuttle in a collaboration with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority in Florida. Now, it’s using a Tesla Model 3.
"As part of its commitment to enable mobility now and in the future, Goodyear has extended testing of its non-pneumatic, airless tires to high-performance electric vehicles,” the company explains. “After successfully executing durability testing of non-pneumatic tires at speeds up to 100 mph (160 km/h), Goodyear recently tested the alternative tire architecture at the company’s Akron Proving Grounds."
Footage of the tests involving the Model 3 was posted by InsideEVs:
According to Goodyear, the car successfully accelerated, decelerated and performed various manoeuvres at speeds up to 55 mph (88 km/h). The video appears to support those claims, although some quick lateral transitions seem to require more effort.
Of course, development is still at an early stage. As mentioned above, Goodyear is giving itself several more years to come to market with consumer-ready airless tires. By its own admission, a lot of work must be put in to reach the series-production stage, but these tires offer “safer, sustainable, maintenance-free and longer-lasting options to traditional alternatives."
Now, how expensive will non-pneumatic tires be? And can they even be used in winter conditions? What happens when snow gets into the many open spaces within the tire’s internal structure? That’s the kind of tests we want to see next.
