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GM and Michelin are working on a tire prototype that they unveiled this week and which will be tested on Chevy Bolts later this year – and, more importantly, it is intended to eliminate the possibility of any punctures and tires. punctures once used on production cars. . The design was presented this week at an event in Montreal and is called Uptis, which stands for Single Puncture Tire System.
The new tires feature a familiar tread pattern on the outside and are based on a combination of rubber and synthetic compounds, as well as fiberglass encrusted with resin. There are no sidewalls and tires can not be inflated either.
It is estimated that these tires will begin to be used in production vehicles in about five years, or as early as 2024. Other GM competitors, such as Bridgestone-Firestone, would also work on airless tires, touted for their environmental benefits . Of course, tire production is not environmentally friendly, and new tires like Uptis also mean that you would not need to carry an extra tire as a spare tire at the rear.
GM is still in the process of determining a price for Uptis, which will depend in part on the volume. Executive Vice President of Purchasing and Global Supply Chain Steve Kiefer said Detroit Free Press, noted that tire design is "an excellent example of the benefits to our customers when we collaborate and innovate with our supplier partners".
CNBC note that most major tire manufacturers are working hard on the same topic, but the challenge is to choose a model that can match current models in terms of performance, cost and energy efficiency .
According to Eric Vinesse, head of research and development at Michelin, the Uptis tire will be as fuel efficient as a conventional tire. Other benefits of the new tire design, by CNBC, include lower cost and longer life than conventional tires.
Image Source: Torsten Kruger / imageBROKER / Shutterstock
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