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These Futuristic Car Tires Never Go Flat

posted by janrinok on Wednesday July 15 2015, @09:46AM   Printer-friendly
from the do-they-still-work-as-kid's-swings? dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Now, Hankook has completed initial testing on its fifth-generation airless tire, dubbed the iFlex. The tires do not require any air pressure, instead relying on a new type of eco-friendly material (Hancook demurs when asked for details). Geometric shapes built into the material provide the bounce and springiness normally provided by air pressure. But, unlike the previous iFlex, this version's designed to mount onto a traditional rim, making it compatible with current vehicles.

Hankook ran the iFlex through a battery of tests to compare it to more conventional rubber, measuring durability, hardness, stability, slalom and speed, at up to 80 mph. The company says the tires matched conventional tires in terms of performance.

Anyone who got a flat from the epidemic of potholes this Spring or who is plagued by nails and other road debris that cause slow leaks will welcome this development. Naturally, the real question is whether it's spelled, "tire" or "tyre."

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  • (Score: 2) by zocalo on Wednesday July 15 2015, @10:54AM

    by zocalo (302) on Wednesday July 15 2015, @10:54AM (#209294)
    Kind of depends on the cost too - not just on the tyre itself, but also the secondary costs of the delays and other inconveniences that a flat brings. You might not have to replace many tyres due to flats compared to normal wear, but when you do get one they can really mess up your day and finances.
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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday July 16 2015, @01:49AM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday July 16 2015, @01:49AM (#209742)

    How does a flat "mess up your day"? You just get out, get the spare out of the trunk, use the provided tools, and put on the spare and drive away. Then you can go get a new tire mounted on the rim after work sometime that week.

    • (Score: 2) by zocalo on Thursday July 16 2015, @08:53AM

      by zocalo (302) on Thursday July 16 2015, @08:53AM (#209863)
      Assuming you have a single punctured tyre, all the necessary tools and a good spare, sure, it shouldn't be a problem - other than being a bit late arriving at your destination. That's why I wrote "can" not "will".

      Where things come unstuck is when that doesn't apply for some reason: you hit some debris and get more than one flat, or a tyre blows and causes other damage to the vehicle, you don't have all the necessary tools (or the spare), or one of the many other corner cases. It's even worse if you have run-flats since you almost certainly won't have a spare so a major blow-out will require third party involvement in the form of a tow-truck or someone to deliver a new tyre, and even if you just get a low pressure alarm you are still limited in terms of range and speed - all of which is compounded if it's late at night or you are in a remote location and help/spares are not readily available.
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