speaking as an automotive mechanic for a chain of small midwest shops, this technology has existed for almost a century. What the article should specify is tha

speaking as an automotive mechanic for a chain of small midwest shops, this technology has existed for almost a century. What the article should specify is that Michelin intends to offer a motor vehicle version of this technology, which I think is probably going to be disaster for a few reasons: 1. weight. anything thats supposed to handle interstate speeds and offer comfort is going to be heavy as it will need to be durable. id be surprised if these tweels show up with the longevity of a standard all-weather radial. Id be even more surprised if drivers dont pull into the service station for more esoteric repairs like CV joints, brakes or idler/pitman assembly changeouts as this is common in vehicles that upgrade to more rugged tires. 2. partial failure. Most people dont want to spend money on a new tire if its 40% worn and a hole or cut is in the tread. Typically a bubblegum type or kevlar patch is applied for $30 to the tire, which keeps it rolling intil its worn enough to replace. How do you repair a tweel thats received curb strike damage or a sharp object? For those who have pointed out, yes, fork trucks and fork lifts commonly use solid tires, but thats largely due to how they work. Many forklifts can hoist in excess of 40 tons, so it makes sense to have a tire that doesnt readily compress. Its why big trucks have to have more tubeless tires for larger loads. The plastic or rubber tires on forklifts also have a quick re-tread option. The tires often dont even need to be removed, as they have more treads that can be created by pulling out zip-tie like spacers in the worn tread. other models use a hot-iron type re-treader. that being said, forklift tires are very heavy and so are the wheels, and neither last very long at full-speed.