General Motors and Michelin have joined their efforts in designing versatile airless car tires that all cars would be able to benefit from. An early concept of such tires, called Uptis, is currently being tested for reliability and performance on a special testing ground in Milford, Delaware, USA.
The Uptis tire consists of an inner rim and an outer protector linked to each other by numerous elastic strands made of GFRP and rubber compound. Such tires are much lighter than the traditional ones, which should translate into more range for all-electric vehicles.
The companies are using a Chevrolet Bolt EV to test the Uptis. Once proven to be efficient enough, the tires will ship as standard or optional equipment of a number of General Motors-produced cars. This likely won’t happen until at least 2025, though.
Michelin is actually already using the innovative tire tech in some of its loaders.
Photos: carscoops.com