Chevrolet May Use Airless Tires for Next Generation Bolt
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General Motors and Michelin are working hand in hand to bring airless tires to the car brand's next electric vehicle. Whether the next generation Bolt will use such tires remains to be seen, but they will give the electric vehicle greater efficiency on the road.
The dream has been around for decades, and it's easy to see why. Airless tires mean no punctures and no annoying tire pressure indicators. You just get in the car and drive. Michelin is working to make that dream a reality, and now, according to a CNN report, that reality is very close to being realized.
Michelin works hand in hand with General Motors
In particular, Michelin is working closely with General Motors on an airless tire that could debut in the next generation of tires. The advantage of airless tires on electric vehicles is that they are always at the correct pressure to maximize your efficiency and reduce rolling resistance. Less rolling resistance means more range without adding an extra battery and therefore more weight. Everyone wins.
GM's next EV will get airless tires
While GM hasn't explicitly confirmed that it's producing another generation of Bolt, its next flurry of Ultium-powered EVs will likely feature something roughly in Bolt shape and relatively priced Bolt, and it's now a hypothetical EV and affordable that you'll get. Michelin without air.
How do airless tires work?
Instead of air, the Michelin concept uses flexible ribs to provide structure to the tire, and these ribs remain open to the atmosphere. A variant of this technology, in which the wheel is integrated into the tire, is called Tweel (tyre-wheel, Tweel). Whether this bolt-on vehicle will have a Tweel or a separate wheel version with an airless tire wrapped (which) remains to be seen, though we hope it's the latter.
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