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Weren’t we trying to reduce plastic waste? This seems to need multiple times the amount of rubber that a normal tire needs. And for what? To prevent a fixable p

Weren’t we trying to reduce plastic waste? This seems to need multiple times the amount of rubber that a normal tire needs. And for what? To prevent a fixable puncture that may or may not happen in a lifespan of a tire?

jedberg 5y ago
Have you ever been driving when a tire blew out at high speed? It's extremely dangerous not only for the driver but all the nearby cars. This is a tradeoff between environmental concerns and safety, as are most safety features on a car. We could make a car that gets insanely good milage and has little raw material, but it would be terribly unsafe.
- whatever1 5y ago
  You are not talking about a puncture. You are talking about a catastrophic collapse of the tire from an impact (damn potholes) that has happened to me. I don’t see how these tires are immune to catastrophic failure that typically can take with it the rim and the suspension.
  - jedberg 5y ago
    Punctures can cause those catastrophic failures, especially when they hit the edge near the sidewall.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  > Have you ever been driving when a tire blew out at high speed? It's extremely dangerous not only for the driver but all the nearby cars. Have you? Your characterization of the experience makes me think you have not. I have had two rear and one front blowout. Blowouts are just flat tires that have a loud intro before the typical "driving on flat tire" music. None of them were any more eventful than a normal flat tire. I'd take a blowout (or normal flat tire) over tread separation any day. The internet highly highly highly highly highly overrates the danger, likely because blowouts are so rare these days and unfamiliarity tends to result in fear which compounds the Internet's tendency to reward certain commenting patterns. Other than the noise potentially causing a driver to incorrectly make massive control inputs (which would be equally hazardous to do after suffering a normal flat) there is no more hazard from a blowout than from a normal flat. And I say this as someone who drives old junk with fat sidewalls. On something with small modern sidewalls all the danger is less still. Frankly, the one time I had a valve stem leak that caused a slow flat was much more unnerving as I initially wasn't sure if I was feeling things or if the vehicle was pulling to that side.
  - jedberg 5y ago
    I have. Front tire blew out, caused the car to swerve uncontrollably to the right. Luckily no one was there an I knew not to slam on the brakes but to downshift instead. But yes, in many cases it just drags the car. None the less, it can cause huge issues.
y04nn 5y ago
My reaction too. I would say the number of scraped tires due to wear far exceed those scrapped due to puncture. Also it looks like this airless tire contains much more rubber, that would increase the tire weight and would impact the fuel consumption. The final weight of rubber scrapped may also increase compared to conventional tiers. Airless tires have been discussed for many years, this is only marketing and brand PR.

jedberg 5y ago

Have you ever been driving when a tire blew out at high speed? It's extremely dangerous not only for the driver but all the nearby cars. This is a tradeoff between environmental concerns and safety, as are most safety features on a car. We could make a car that gets insanely good milage and has little raw material, but it would be terribly unsafe.

whatever1 5y ago
You are not talking about a puncture. You are talking about a catastrophic collapse of the tire from an impact (damn potholes) that has happened to me. I don’t see how these tires are immune to catastrophic failure that typically can take with it the rim and the suspension.
- jedberg 5y ago
  Punctures can cause those catastrophic failures, especially when they hit the edge near the sidewall.
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
> Have you ever been driving when a tire blew out at high speed? It's extremely dangerous not only for the driver but all the nearby cars. Have you? Your characterization of the experience makes me think you have not. I have had two rear and one front blowout. Blowouts are just flat tires that have a loud intro before the typical "driving on flat tire" music. None of them were any more eventful than a normal flat tire. I'd take a blowout (or normal flat tire) over tread separation any day. The internet highly highly highly highly highly overrates the danger, likely because blowouts are so rare these days and unfamiliarity tends to result in fear which compounds the Internet's tendency to reward certain commenting patterns. Other than the noise potentially causing a driver to incorrectly make massive control inputs (which would be equally hazardous to do after suffering a normal flat) there is no more hazard from a blowout than from a normal flat. And I say this as someone who drives old junk with fat sidewalls. On something with small modern sidewalls all the danger is less still. Frankly, the one time I had a valve stem leak that caused a slow flat was much more unnerving as I initially wasn't sure if I was feeling things or if the vehicle was pulling to that side.
- jedberg 5y ago
  I have. Front tire blew out, caused the car to swerve uncontrollably to the right. Luckily no one was there an I knew not to slam on the brakes but to downshift instead. But yes, in many cases it just drags the car. None the less, it can cause huge issues.

y04nn 5y ago

My reaction too. I would say the number of scraped tires due to wear far exceed those scrapped due to puncture. Also it looks like this airless tire contains much more rubber, that would increase the tire weight and would impact the fuel consumption. The final weight of rubber scrapped may also increase compared to conventional tiers. Airless tires have been discussed for many years, this is only marketing and brand PR.