Toyo Tires is a legendary tire manufacturer with a long history of not just creating reliable tires but innovating along the way. One of the most significant innovations that Toyo Tires have been working on is airless tires. These have been in the works for cars have been in the works for close to 20 years. With the push for EVs and the higher cost of EV tire maintenance, airless tires represent a significant advancement for electric vehicle advancement.

What benefits do airless tires offer?

Airless tires aren’t a new idea. This type of tire has been used on smaller pieces of equipment, and manufacturers want to perfect this type of tire. The big idea behind these tires is that they don’t need to be filled with air to work. What driver wouldn’t love that? A tire that doesn’t need air would be no more flat tires. 

Another huge benefit of the new technology is that these models can’t go flat due to a puncture. This can ensure you have the opportunity to get tires you can trust and will be less likely to be left stranded on the side of the road. Plus, airless tires don’t require the same level of maintenance, aside from rotations. 

How do airless tires work?

Unlike regular tires that rely on air, airless tires work thanks to foam inserts, plastics, or fiberglass composites. These materials give the tire its structure and, in turn, use less rubber. In some cases, the tires utilize a spoke design that allows the tires to be see-through and can offer quite a bit of support. In addition, this design can offer a surprisingly smooth and controlled drive that will perform well as regular tires.

One of the best aspects of the idea of an airless tire is that it can offer you outstanding performance. Because electric vehicles rely on batteries, and batteries are surprisingly heavy, airless tires can offer better-rolling resistance. Regular tires will gradually lose air pressure, forcing the car to use more energy to rotate the tire. With no air in your tires, you can enjoy much more efficiency. This will help you to avoid stopping to charge more often.

They are carbon neutral

The shift to electric vehicles is the result of attempting to lessen the emissions and carbon footprint. If Toyo Tires or other manufacturers are successful, there could be a drastic effect on the carbon footprint. Tires utilize quite a bit of rubber, and the destruction of used tires is dirty work.

With airless tires, the actual production of these is much cleaner. In Toyo’s case, they are aiming to use thermoplastic. Thermoplastics are unlike regular plastic in the manufacturing process. Oil is used during the production process of ordinary plastic, which is not precisely carbon-friendly or easily recyclable. On the other hand, Thermoplastics are much easier to recycle and are reusable. 

Airless tires could shift the industry in other ways

The idea of airless tires is a novel one. For years this idea seemed like something straight out of a science-fiction story. But, with the hard work and effort of Toyo Tires, these tires could become a reality. Toyo, like other manufacturers, is working hard to make these tires more durable and more efficient. If that is possible, and they can also figure out a process to manufacture them on a larger scale, they could be a massive shift in the industry.

While airless tires seem far closer to reality than ever before, they could still be a few years away.