What are airless tyres?

Airless tyres are specifically designed with extra sidewall strengthening to enable them to drive for around 50 miles at a maximum speed of 50mph, even when deflated due to a puncture. Compared to traditional high pressure pneumatic tyres, airless tyres, also known as flat-free tyres or non-pneumatic tyres, feature a revolutionary new technology that does not require your tyres to be inflated with air  

How do airless tyres work? 

Airless tyres are produced to have a mesh-like structure with interlaced spokes that surround the wheel to flex and change shape as the car drives and goes over bumps.  

What are the benefits of airless tyres

Whilst there is still research to be carried out on the use and effectiveness of airless tyre technology, there are already some benefits. These include: 

No flat tyres 

The obvious benefit of airless tyres is the reduced risk of a puncture that can cause you issues when driving and be costly to repair. It also saves you the hassle of being left stranded due to a breakdown, whilst you attempt to change the wheel yourself or wait for roadside assistance.  

Spare tyres are not required 

Due to the technology of airless tyres reducing the risk of a flat tyre, there will be less of a need for vehicles to carry a spare tyre. This will help save space in vehicles, leaving more room for storage in the boot.  

Less CO2 emissions 

According to recent studies during the testing of airless tyres, it was discovered that around 90% of energy loss from tyre rolling is due to constant changes in the shape of the tyres as they roll. By simplifying the structure of the tyre, energy loss can be minimised to have the same level of low rolling resistance as a pneumatic tyre – which can contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions.  

Recyclable 

Airless tyres are being designed to be made from completely recyclable materials, meaning they can go on to become recycled in the future and be used to create new airless tyres. Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone have coined this term ‘cradle-to-cradle’, being the first brand of non-pneumatic tyres to make this a reality.  

The future of airless tyres 

Whilst airless tyres are already used on smaller vehicles such as lawn mowers and golf carts, there is still a lot of development required and testing to be carried out before airless tyres can be solely used on larger vehicles and become available to consumers on a larger scale.  

If you have any questions about your tyres or simply want to take advantage of our free tyre check, contact your friendly local PTA Garages Services branch. If you’re looking for new tyres, we stock a wide range of tyres at great prices. Simply use our online tyre search to find the right tyres for your vehicle and buy online today.