Technology, materials science, and engineering are creating longer-lasting, more resilient, more sustainable tires.
SMART stands for Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology.
And the tires are something special.
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Their first product will be a bicycle tire launching in Q4 of 2022.
Sensors placed on the tires rim send data to the vehicles dashboard, monitoring the amount of tire inflation.
But sensors are being used in a range of predictive maintenance scenarios to prevent accidents brought on by worntires.
The sensor data goes to a cloud-based data analytics platform to deliver real-time analytics about the tires health.
The system fully automates tread-depth measurements and analytics needed for efficient tire management and safe vehicle operation.
Each tire consists of 35% renewable bio-materials.
These include natural rubber from dandelions, silicate from rice husks ash, and vegetable oils and resins.
This reduces the need for crude oil, traditionally found in tires.
Theyre not the only company switching to greener materials.
Goodyearhas replaced petroleum-based components with soybean oil in some tread compounds.
Tires for EVs
Electric vehicles have specific challenges when it comes totire health.
The cars weigh more and bear the brunt of instant torque and acceleration.
Combined, these lead to an increase in wear and tear.
Worn tires increase a tires rolling resistance and reduce efficiency.
Last year,MichelinandGoodyearreleased their first tires designed exclusively for electric vehicles.
Tire makerPirellirecently added its own EV-specific tire to the mix.
Last week tire company Hankook Tireannouncedplans to launch iON, its first family of tires specially designed for EVs.
The new iON tire development characteristics include further reduced rolling resistance, notably lower rolling-noise characteristics and high resilience.
This means more range per battery charge and an overall more enjoyable driving experience.
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin.
