At last! The Self-Inflating Tyre

il y a 12 années, 8 mois - 12 Mars 2012, Wheels News
At last! The Self-Inflating Tyre
Goodyear has good news for the millions of drivers who don’t regularly check their car’s tyre pressures - and it could lead to dramatic fuel savings in the long run.

The tyre giant is showing off some fancy new technology at the 2012 Geneva auto show called Air Maintenance Technology that has been developed over the past two years.

The self-inflating AMT system includes a miniature pump that's actually INSIDE the tyre.

Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear senior vice-president and chief technical officer previously said even though the technology was complex, the idea behind the AMT system was simple.

"The AMT will be powered by the tyre as it rolls along the road and a tyre that can maintain its own inflation is something drivers have long wanted," Kihn said.

Research indicates that under-inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by as much as three percent. Similarly, the Goodyear study indicated most drivers are not too concerned about their cars’ tyre pressure, with half of those surveyed not knowing when to check tyre pressure, while a third admitted to being unlikely to check at all.

Despite the good news for scatterbrained drivers and those keen to improve their car’s handling and fuel efficiency, Goodyear says it is too early to predict when AMT will be generally available.