Why Airless Tires Are a Bad Idea

[Fanfare 100]

And here I was considering swapping out my tyres for airless ones. This article changed my mind: https://www.valleychevy.com/why-airless-tires-are-a-bad-idea/

[John Malcom]

No airless tires for Aptera or any other production vehicle. Obviously a reason for that. A little before their time and as your URL points out certainly not efficient.

[my_discord_number_is_0328 bloody stupid]

maybe it still soaks up vertical bumpy road shock than metal wheel spokes

[my_discord_number_is_0328 bloody stupid]

speaking of tires, how about tire temp gauge? would be cool to know when tires are warm enough for pushing g forces without burning tires b/c smelly and toxic… sudden/unusual temp change could also indicate tire leaks and with patterns of apparent leaks, one may know if theres unusual leaking to patch the tire for.

[Philip Raymond]

I would give this article more credibility if it was from a source like Consumer Reports and not a Chevy dealer. A dealer who profits from replacing tires with blow outs. It’s the same reason car dealers are opposed to EV’s, less profits from fixing ICE vehicle problems. I don’t doubt airless tires still need some refinement before coming to market, but this article gives the impression that’s decades away, when in fact, it probably will arrive in 2024. As for Aptera, I’m good with whatever tires they install and if airless tires make more sense to me, I’ll replace them at my expense. (right to repair, right?)

[Curtis Cibinel]

In my experience most tire shops either don’t charge or it’s like $20 to fix a normal tire (ie mushroom plug). They do this as a loss leader hoping you come back when you need tires. Honestly tire shops always strike me as weirdly nice companies especially compared to dealerships and mechanics.

Airless are a great idea for backhoes and other construction vehicles but the efficiency loss is massive which makes automotive a really bad idea.

Ps: lol consumer reports is credible? Maybe 20 years ago.

[dsa sda]

<font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”>伤心sadadsads</font></font>

[Riley ________________________________]

I will still put whatever airless tire comes out on for most daily drives. The benefits are still worth it for me at least.

[Ray Holan]

Hi, Riley. I too am open to airless tires if they are not 3X cost of a traditional tire. The deciding factor for me outside of cost is weight. Run-flat tires are considerably heavier than a traditional radial of the same size. Remains to be seen whether an airless tire of the same size is heavier or lighter than a traditional radial. Since the hub motors already add unsprung weight, Aptera is doing what it can to reduce unsprung weight. Adding a heavier tire would be a step backward. Time will tell.

[Riley ________________________________]

Unfortunately the first of a technology will be inferior and more expensive than the established option thats just how leaps happen. Even if the airless tire adds more weight I would need to install and test them to determine for myself if the added unsprung mass is too much for daily driving. If the cost is only 3x a regular tire that would be a fairly good price. I’ve been waiting 10+ years for them not holding my breath for them anytime soon.

[kerbe2705]

https://jalopnik.com/watch-goodyear-test-airless-tires-on-a-tesla-model-3-1848026312