Tires are something that most people only think about when they are flat. Only the most serious of gear heads and monster truck lovers know about the new advances in tire technology. The fact that tires are round, made of rubber, and go on a car is usually the extent of the general public’s tire knowledge. However, there is more to tires, and tire manufacturers are always trying to improve their product. They innovate, streamline, and improve their products all the time. Here are but a few of the new advances in tire technology.

Tire Design Changes

The key characteristics of any tire are reliability, safety, wet and dry traction, handling, and high-rolling efficiency. New developments in tires are substantial and occur every year. Manufacturers are constantly changing the tread patterns, material types, and material chemistry of their tires. There is currently a worldwide rubber crunch, so tire makers are looking for alternative sources of rubber and experimenting with different materials. They are looking to use a material with the same properties as rubber. The primary commitment is to make more technically advanced tires. There are tires in development that have sensors to measure tread depth, read temperature, and provide real-time alerts to drivers.

EV Tire Requirements

Electric vehicles (EV) are growing in popularity, with Tesla leading the charge. Electric cars need a special kind of tire, and tire makers are working to meet the demand. Higher wear resistance is more important on electric cars because traditional tires wear out faster on EVs. EV tires need an optimized footprint shape and contact pressure to avoid irregular wear. Getting the most out of the battery range means lowering the rolling resistance of the tires as well.

AV Tire Evolution

Autonomous vehicles (AV) are still several years in the future, but people are currently working on the technology. These vehicles have many of the same tire requirements EVs. Tire sensing and communication capabilities are emerging at all levels of tire manufacturing. Tire makers are developing smart tires that can sense the road conditions and weather, and report back to the on-board computer in the AV. Self-driving cars will need to know if a tire is flat so it doesn’t keep driving and further damage the car. RNR Tire Express is the best tire shop in Charlotte, NC. Come in for a new set of rims and tires today.