Hollywood has long shown us futuristic concepts of vehicles that seem magical: invisibility cloaking systems, hidden weapons and ejector seats and self-healing automatically re-inflating tyres.
But what does the real future hold for tyres and is it anything like as exciting as the movies would have us believe?
Self-healing Tyres
Self-healing tyres are already with us, albeit if only used by a small percentage of people. Over time, as the technology is perfected and streamlined, the price will come down, and it will become a standard option in your new tyre selection.
Smart Tyre Systems
On the drawing board already are a number of tyres which more or less look after themselves. Cunning design innovations mean that these tyres – almost exclusively used in all-electric or hybrid vehicles – can keep track of their own pressure, re-inflating themselves as necessary, and constantly providing the driver with a stream of information about the condition of the tyres, the road and other data that will help the driver stay safe on the roads.
Sustainability is King
One leap that is underway and sure to continue is the advent of green technologies into every part of life, especially the motoring industry. Vehicle and tyre manufacturers are tackling the issue on two fronts: firstly, by trying to reduce the amount of fossil fuels are used in the manufacture of tyres and secondly, by working on finding alternatives. Silica, sunflower oil, and floral latex are just some of the products under experimentation as replacements for oil and rubber derived products. Nowadays, there are many brands like Michelin, Continental and Bridgestone etc that are offering environmentally friendly tyres. You can shop them all at Plume tyres. They offer good quality tyres in Birmingham online!
Even more futuristic concepts are still at the drawing board or idea stage. These include tyres that improve the air quality as they go along, sucking in dirty air and purifying it; tyres that are made from super elastic, which is what the Mars Rover’s tyres are made from – designed for intense durability under the most hostile conditions; 3D printed tyres that don’t use air at all, and many more. One thing is clear: in the future buying tyres in Birmingham could easily become a very exciting prospect!
