Will You Have Airless Tires in Your Chevy Bolt EV?

A new version of the airless tire has been developed by Michelin and it’s begun testing on Chevy Bolt EV models in the Michigan area.

The tire that we see on the cars that we drive today is extremely similar to what was used on some of the early cars. Ever since we figure out that we can inflate tires and use air pressure to give us the comfort and ride that we want on the road that’s what’s been used. Having air in your tires does provide a smoother ride and a quality drive, but if you could have tires that don’t require air, you might be able to enjoy a great drive and know that you don’t need to keep your tires inflated.

A Recent Partnership for Airless Tires

The idea of having tires that don’t use air to inflate them isn’t a new concept at all. Michelin first introduced this idea about a decade ago with the Tweel tire. Since that time, Michelin has been selling production versions for small lawn and construction equipment to make sure this equipment can get the job done without the need to have inflatable tires.

The New Uptis Tire on the Bolt

You might see the Chevy Bolt EV driving around the Michigan area on tires that look extremely strange. These new tires are called Uptis and they are similar to the design of the Tweel tire. Michelin has created this tire to replace the air in a tire with a number of spokes or ribs that substitute for the air. These items are made of a combination of rubber and fiberglass-reinforced resin to give the tire the strength needed to make sure the drive can be smart and easy to enjoy on the road.

The Roads for Testing are the Right Ones

One of the major concerns regarding a new type of tire is how it will perform on the roads we drive. The roads in Michigan are rough enough to make sure any tire can be tested the right way. The fact that Michelin and GM both have headquarters in the area makes it easy for these tires to be tested in this area and offered on the market. The expectation is that the new Uptis tires will be offered on vehicles by the 2024 model year to give us an option we could enjoy.

These Tires Could Drive Longer

The new Uptis tires could be offered to give us a longer driving range on our tires to make it possible to only have to replaces after several thousand miles more than the typical tire we see on the market today. There also will be some minor weight savings with these airless tires which might make it possible for the Chevy Bolt EV to drive longer than it already does when using these tires. We won’t know for sure what the benefits and the challenges are for these tires until they are offered for our use on the market.

Are you interested in the Uptis tires from Michelin? Do you want to see the Chevy Bolt with these tires on them? Look up these terms and see what you find, these new tires are interesting and an advanced way for us to enjoy a drive in the future.