Two path-breaking tyre concepts have been launched by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company at the 85th edition of Geneva International Motor Show. It is expected that this new technology has the potential of making a revolution in the role of car tyres. Though, these are ideally concept products as of now, the innovative technologies applied in these tyres show the influence of practical innovations in the modern generation.
The first concept among the two has been named BHO3, which comes with the possibility of battery charging of electric cars in an innovative way. The heat generated from the rolling tyres is transformed into electrical energy. The tyre generates electricity by the materials’ action on the road during normal driving conditions. The materials used in the tyres for the generation of electricity have been specifically designed for this purpose as well as for withstanding the rolling friction. The demand for electric cars has grown over the time and this technology is expected to boost it further.
The second concept is Triple Tube, which contains three tubes for adjusting tyre inflation pressure with changing road conditions. The tyre is reliable on an internal pump, which moves air from the air chamber to the three tubes. The tyres automatically adjust to three different positions based on the road conditions. These three conditions are:
- Eco/Safety position
- Sporty position
- Wet Traction position
Joe Zekoski, Goodyear’s senior vice president and chief technical officer said, “These concept tires reimagine the role that tires may play in the future. We envision a future in which our products become more integrated with the vehicle and the consumer, more environmentally friendly and more versatile. It is more important than ever for us to stay firmly rooted in our market-back innovation process, which calls on us to focus on, and anticipate, the rapidly evolving needs of our customers.”
Goodyear is among the largest tyre companies in the world with around 67000 employees. It has its presence in 22 nations with 50 production facilities. The two innovation centres are located at Akron in Ohio and Colmar-Berg in Luxembourg.
