This could be the future of tyres – Đây có thể là tương lai của lốp xe
[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
The French rubber-goods manufacturer Michelin has developed a tire supported by rubber spokes instead of pressurized air, which is expected to land on public roads within the next few years. The prototype name for this in-development product is Uptis, shorthand for Unique Puncture-Proof Tire System. Undoubtedly, the firm’s marketing department will come up with something more appealing than that before the tires go on sale.
The Uptis, or whatever it ends up being called, is scheduled to launch on a General Motors vehicle as early as 2024, “[But] probably not sooner than that,” at least according to Steve Cron, senior principal product engineer at Michelin. The two giant companies have been working together on this project, with the Chevrolet Bolt all-electric hatchback serving as the development platform.
Compared to a conventional pneumatic tire, the Uptis offers numerous benefits. The most obvious of which is never having to deal with a flat again, so feel free to run over as much broken glass, miscellaneous debris or even drywall screws as you want. These tires require no maintenance, no periodic air-pressure checks. Any vehicle fitted with Uptis tires can do away with a jack, spare and any tire pressure-monitoring hardware, which saves weight and cost, two things automakers absolutely hate.
But those aren’t the only advantages of the Uptis. Cron said the tires can potentially be re-treaded. As they wear out, rather than replacing them with a new set, a fresh layer of rubber can be applied to the outside, as is done with large tires used on tractor trailers and other heavy equipment. This means Uptis could potentially last the life of a vehicle. They also have “very high lateral stiffness,” which Cron noted can improve vehicle handling.
With its open design, you’d think the Uptis would need sidewalls to keep snow, ice and mud out of the spokes, but Cron said, “Really, it is not a problem.” According to him, debris quickly gets forced out after you drive just a few meters. Capping these tires is more a question of looks and aerodynamics he explained.
As for cost, nothing is official yet as the Uptis is still years away from hitting the market. But they should be comparably priced to a run-flat tire, which is the benchmark product Michelin has been targeting during development. Look for the Uptis to launch on a GM vehicle around the year 2024.
Source: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/gm-michelin-uptis-airless-tires/?fbclid=IwAR3Gv7_UkfYSvjPL_JSCfFQ7dyHGo7P0o1JWXWk3-sQMNCXmaj0mcKGwjT8
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