It is through the postman that the revolution arrives: for the first time in Europe, up to forty yellow vans will test these airless tires over two years, which their very design makes them indestructible. A similar test was launched with DHL in January in Singapore. The first three Citroëns equipped with Uptis tires were enthroned on Tuesday in front of the Roost-Warendin sorting center, near Douai (northern France).
The aluminum wheel and rubber tread remain fairly standard, but between them slip 64 black, curved “fins”. These fins, made of a mixture of fiberglass and resin filaments, have to match the air pressure when it comes to comfort, heat resistance and impact resistance. The idea is also that by avoiding under-inflation these tires last longer. How these fins are assembled, like the characteristics of the belt that sticks them to the tread, remain closely guarded secrets. Michelin wants to inspire motorists who have had the misfortune to puncture, or drive with poorly inflated tires, but also to offer a solution of puncture-proof tires, on subscription, to delivery fleets.
“It’s good for safety, the environment and our performance,” said Philippe Dorge, deputy general manager of La Poste. “It doesn’t change anything, the feelings are even a little better,” says Thomas Thant, who delivers packages near Lille. “We don’t worry about punctures or pressure anymore,” and these tires are no louder than others, he says. The prototypes assembled by La Poste were manufactured in a few thousand copies by Michelin in its Greenville factory. This American plant already manufactures the Tweel, an airless tire launched in 2004 for off-road and low-speed use, either for large lawn mowers or recreational vehicles.
The Bibendum is not alone in wanting to reinvent the wheel. In May 2022, Goodyear presented its version of the airless tire, having the press test a Tesla equipped with its NexTreks. The American manufacturer also wants to test it on delivery vehicles, in particular autonomous ones, and aims for mass production by 2030. The American start-up Smart Tire is betting on a shape memory metal developed by NASA for its Mars Exploration Vehicle. Smart Tire is working with Korean manufacturer Hyundai, but first plans to launch a puncture-proof tire for bicycles, which will sell for around $150 from the end of 2023.
Michelin is also targeting 2030 for the start of marketing, and would also like this tire to be more ecological and connected. “There’s a lot of progress to be made,” says Bruno de Feraudy, who runs the French manufacturer’s new car tire line. “You learn a lot more by rolling them with the fleets. We will continue to work on rolling resistance, on retreading “, that is to say the replacement of the rubber strip in contact with the road, explains Mr. Feraudy.
The performance of the Uptis is already the same as that of an “all-season” Michelin tire, in terms of braking and rolling resistance, assures the manufacturer. The test with La Poste, then with other customers, will allow them to be tested over millions of kilometres. But it will then be necessary to approve these tires, produce them in the hundreds of existing sizes and above all equip the garages to maintain them.
Police and army could be among the first customers of these puncture-proof tires: the French police have already tested them at high speed, breathes Michelin, just as soldiers had already tested the Tweel.