Goodyear’s self-generating concept tyre is aimed at individual mobility needs.
Story by: Team ACI
The Goodyear reCharge is a self-generating concept tyre. Aimed at meeting individual mobility needs, the concept tyre is said to adapt and change. Mentioned Mike Rytokoski, Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Goodyear Europe, “Goodyear wants the tyre to be an even more powerful contributor to answering consumers’ specific mobility needs.” “It was with that ambition that we set out to create a concept tyre primed for the future of personalised and convenient electric mobility,” he said. The company claims to have designed the concept tyre with informative features built around three pillars: Personalised, sustainable and hassle-free. Under the first pillar – Personalised, a reloadable and biodegradable tread compound can be recharged with individual capsules claimed to radically simplify the process of replacing the tyres. Known to be filled with a customised liquid compound, the capsules work such that they allow the tread to regenerate. The tyre is claimed to adapt over time to climatic circumstances, road conditions, or simply how the individuals decide to travel. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), a driver profile would be created around which the liquid compound would be customised, in turn generating a compound blend tailored to each individual. Under the sustainable pillar, the compound itself is known to be made from biological material. It would be reinforced with fibres inspired by spider silk, known to be one of the toughest natural materials in the world. It is credited with making it both extremely durable and 100 per cent biodegradable. In line with the objective of making it hassle-free, the tyre is claimed to radically simplify the process of replacing tyres with rechargeable capsules. It is backed by the tread claimed to be supported by a light-weight, non-pneumatic frame, tall and narrow in shape. The thin, robust low-maintenance construction is claimed to eliminate the need for pressure maintenance or downtime related to punctures. As a leading tyre company, Goodyear employs 63,000 people and manufactures its products across 47 facilities in 21 countries. From the company’s two Innovation Centres in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, the manufacturer is striving to develop state-of-the-art products and services in an attempt to set the technology and performance standard for the industry. Only time will tell if these innovations are pressed into mass production and eventually commercialisation. ACI
