CDA
June 24, 2023
Airless tires, Michelin’s great revolution, can be very useful for the police and their persecutions: they don’t get punctured.
Michelin has been researching airless tires for years, an element that intends to commercialize from 2024 And it has a number of obvious advantages. Among them, which are puncture- and shock-proof tires, they are more ecological, they are more connected and they do not require maintenance.
It all seems good news for potential buyers and also for a union that we can all imagine: the security forces. And it is that the tires without air have aroused the interest of the European police because they represent an indisputable advantage when it comes to chasing criminals: they cannot be punctured if they are shot.
They do not puncture even if you shoot them
Michelin has tested the Uptis airless tire at speeds of up to 210 km/h in police vehicles on the French manufacturer’s own test track. In a recent interview with The Drive, Michelin’s senior vice president Bruno de Feraudy revealed that police in some European countries have taken an interest in Uptis tires because nowadays police car tires can get punctures during chases.
This type of airless tire could also be used in autonomous vehicles due to its resistance to punctures, as he explained in the same interview. This would eliminate the need for passengers to change a tire.
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In 2019, Michelin unveiled the Uptis concept on an electric Chevrolet Bolt, and General Motors plans to test Uptis tires on a fleet of electric Bolts for a possible production launch in 2024; however, the validity of the release date remains unconfirmed. At the same time, various information indicates that Michelin is in talks with Tesla to test the Uptis tires.
The availability of airless tires for private vehicles remains uncertain, although they have already been introduced for quads, lawnmowers and excavators. According to Michelin, these airless tires will always They will have specific applications and will not totally replace conventional ones.despite its advantages.
