The company patented a tire that doesn’t have an enclosed air chamber.
Goodyear and Michelin have also patented similar tires recently.
Nissan says its own airless tires could be used on cars, motorcycles, and trucks.
Airless tires have been talked about for years now, but it seems the concept might be gaining popularity lately.
Indeed, both Goodyear and Michelin have presented new airless tire concepts within the last year, and Nissan is now joining the party.
The Japanese automaker has recently filed a patent for such a tire, which it says could be used on cars, trucks, and even motorcycles.
As their name implies, airless tires don’t contain an air chamber or an enclosed sidewall, making use of layers upon layers of rubber spokes in order to support the wheel’s hub.
Of course, the main advantage of these tires is that they can’t burst or be punctured, but there are rumours that they could also have an environmental advantage.
Nissan airless tires patent | Photo: WIPO
Indeed, airless tires might produce fewer particulate emissions than their traditional counterparts, which could explain their sudden increase in popularity with manufacturers since the upcoming Euro 7 environmental standards put a cap on emissions coming from brakes and tires.
There are still some kinks to be worked out of airless tires, mainly related to the firmness of the inner spokes.
The automaker says making the outer part of the tires more robust would reduce the load forces on the spokes closer to the road, but this could lead to a reduced contact patch, a degraded ability to soak up bumps, and difficulty putting up with cornering forces.
Despite this, Nissan believes the unique construction of its airless tires will help distribute the forces throughout the entire tire, thus taking less of a toll on the actual tread.
Nissan airless tires patent | Photo: WIPO
Source: Carbuzz
