Michelin’s Vision Concept tire of the future

Some of you may have spotted a tractor or even a golf cart with some strange looking tires and wheels. Instead of the conventional tire on wheel, what you likely witnessed is one of Michelin’s may Tweel applications.

The Tweel is essentially a single piece tire and wheel assembly (hence t-wheel) that requires no air, or valve for that matter and thus no maintenance. In other words, you can’t get a flat. For the moment, the applications are limited to low-speed vehicles and another advantage is that the Tweel’s configuration reduces unwanted bounce for smoother operation.

What about for cars and trucks? Michelin’s hard at work creating what will likely be the future of the tire, and mobility for your car. The Michelin Vision Concept is nothing short of mind blowing. Here’s the easiest way to explain how they work:

You have car. You have Michelin tires on your car. This upcoming weekend, you plan to leave the warm urban jungle and head for the mountains where snow is expected to fall. You “contact” Michelin to let them know of your plans; they will recommend a tire tread pattern for your excursion. You head to the nearest Michelin 3D tire printing station and there, tread is printed on your tires. Simple, and green. The tread is sourced from bio-sourced and biodegradable materials like natural rubber, paper, wood, bamboo and all kinds more “stuff”.

Like the Tweel, the Vision Concept is airless, so won’t blowout. The inspired by nature design provides an interior structure capable of supporting the vehicle and will provide comfort and stability as well.

A production version of this tire is not expected to hit the market for another 10 years so you still need to buy tires for next winter.