Goodyear Shows Cutting-Edge Tires In Geneva

Goodyear, the leading name in tires, will show that the R and D department has not been slouching when it unveils numerous cutting-edge concepts at this year's Geneva Motor Show. One tire inflates itself and manages its own pressure. Another large model is loaded with springs and is meant to use on the moon.

Seeing new tires

Goodyear's research and development teams have been working overtime as the tire maker seeks cutting edge solutions to meet the changing needs of the automotive industry.

Goodyear's senior vice president and chief technical officer Jean-Claude Kihn said:

"Goodyear has always been proactive in research and development, and we are looking forward to displaying a range of innovations that people will never have seen before. These technologies have been specifically developed to meet the ever-changing requirements of modern consumers and society focused on performance, sustainability, the environment and convenience."

Environmentally conscious

The "BioIsopren" is a material that replaces petroleum-based isoprene that most tires used. It is used on one of the tires displayed in Geneva. Goodyear wants to make sure the world does not depend on petroleum so much.

Another tire that is good for the environment is the Air Maintenance Technology tire. This permits the tire to self-inflate and regulate its tire pressure. This is supposed to help fuel consumption decrease.

Kihn said:

"Consumers often overlook the importance of maintaining proper tire pressure. We believe this technology will have immediate positive impact for drivers in terms of performance and for the environment through improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and extended tire life. Goodyear has taken on this challenge and the progress we have made is very encouraging to the point that we are now ready to demonstrate it in Geneva for the first time."

Could be sent into space

For very harsh areas of our planet, you could try the brand new "spring tire." This was developed with help from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in order to create a tire that could be used on the moon or other extraterrestrial areas.

The spring tire is intended to be able to carry a ton of weight for long distances in tough areas. It has 800 springs in it, which is why it got its name. The types will do better than the wire-mesh tires that Goodyear designed for use on the Lunar Roving Vehicle in the Apollo moon missions in 1971.

According to Goodyear's lead research Joe Lettieri:

"This tire is extremely durable and very energy efficient. The spring design contours to any surface providing maximum traction. All of the energy used to deform the tire is returned when the springs rebound, so it will not generate heat like a pneumatic tire."

Hot and cold changes rubber

Goodyear and NASA chose to eschew rubber the lunar tires due to the material's susceptibility to extremes of heat and cold. Also, the unfiltered solar radiation on the lunar surface would degrade rubber.

R&D honor given

The spring tire has never been shown to the public for practical application, although it was given the 2010 R&D 100 award.

On March 8, the Geneva Motor Show started and showed off the technology. It will stay there until March 18 when the show closes.