The innovative design features fibreglass spokes that distribute load and eliminate the need for air, aiming to reduce the 200 million tyre scrapped annually due to punctures and sidewall damage.
The UPTIS prototype performs similarly to traditional tyre, with the added benefit of increased sustainability.
The Uptis airless tyre has been demonstrated in public for the first time – and its maker, Michelin, says passengers in an Uptis-equipped car couldn’t tell the difference between its potentially game-changing new tech and traditional tyres.
“The Uptis is as revolutionary as the radial tyre was in the 1940s,” says Cyrille Roget, the company’s technical and scientific communication director.
“Tyres have been around for 130 years now, and we’ve never been able to find a complete solution to punctures, irregular pressure and sidewall damage.
“One of the best things was that after a few moments driving with Uptis, people didn’t realise it was any different,” he said after a recent demo in Munich. Auto Express has yet to get behind the wheel of an Uptis-equipped car to test that claim, but Roget says the advantages are difficult to ignore, while confirming Michelin is on schedule to launch the new tech in Asia in 2024.
