Goodyear developing self-inflating tyres

The Air Maintenance Technology (AMT), currently under development at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, will enable tyres to remain inflated at the optimum pressure without the need for any external pumps or electronics, says the company.

According to Goodyear, all components of the AMT system, including the miniaturised pump, will be fully contained within the tyre and the system will be powered by the tyre itself as it rolls down the road. Keeping tyres properly inflated results in lower emissions, longer tyre life, enhanced safety, and improved vehicle performance. Goodyear did not provide an estimate as to when this technology would be available at tyre retailers, but said the timetable would be accelerated due to recent government research grants in the USA and the European Union.

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technology recently announced it has awarded a USD 1.5 million grant for research, development and demonstration of the AMT system for commercial truck tyres. The grant will be administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory and work will be conducted at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Akron, OH, USA.

In July, Goodyear successfully applied for a grant from the Luxemburg government for research and development of an AMT system for consumer tyres. That work will be conducted at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg.

In addition, the DOE’s Office of Vehicle Technology also announced that it will award a USD 1.5 million grant for a joint project between PPG Industries and Goodyear to improve the rolling resistance and fuel efficiency of tyres. The project’s objective is to increase average fuel efficiency of passenger vehicle fleets through use of new tread and inner liner technologies.

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