The Airless Tire: Will this Revolutionary Concept be the Tire of the Future?

Conventional pneumatic (air-inflated) tires have dominated the tire market for over a century. However, several tire manufacturers have presented concepts or prototypes for airless tires which use rubber only in the treads, while the load-carrying structure is made of composite materials such as polyurethane, thermoplastics, fiberglass and epoxy laminates, but also eco-friendlier and bio-degradable materials have been proposed.

First, some early projects (1989-2008) are described in which a Swedish innovative airless tire concept was tested, resulting in so-called Composite Wheel prototypes. This reduced noise emission and rolling resistance substantially and had excellent wet skid resistance properties while also providing acceptable vehicle handling. However, in full-scale testing, it did not endure an extreme test on a “pot-hole” test track due to a design lapse.

Then, a number of concept or prototype airless tires suggested by tire manufacturers in the last 15 years are reviewed. In general, very sparse information have been provided, but they all promise (without scientific proof) significant improvements over pneumatic tires. Advantages are foreseen especially in terms of dramatic reduction in global use of raw materials, use of more eco-friendly materials and much less complicated production. Even 3D-printing can be used in some cases. One of the prototypes is currently tested for use on an electric vehicle in service, with a possible market introduction targeted in 2024.

It is concluded that airless tires have substantial potential for initiating a revolution in terms of use of raw materials of which many may be eco-friendly, in addition to significant advantages over pneumatic tires in the environmental footprint during operation. However, a wide use of airless tires will have dramatic consequences for the tire manufacturing plants, and significantly influence the vehicle industry, with a risk of recent investments not being fully paid-off. Therefore, a wide introduction of airless tires on the market might take a longer time than what is technically needed, regardless of all benefits.