Optimum pressure: Goodyear AMT tyres that won’t lose air
AUGUST 18, 2011 AT 4:20 PM FILED UNDER CARS
Everyone knows the importance of maintaining optimum tyre pressure (we hope!), but we sometimes forget to do so, or lack the discipline to regularly check. Well, if the good folks at Goodyear have their way, we won’t need to bother with manually inflating tyres in the future.
Say hello to Goodyear’s Air Maintenance Technology (AMT), a new innovation currently undergoing development. The headline here is that AMT tyres will remain inflated at the optimum pressure without the need for any external pumps or electronics. All components of the AMT system, including a miniaturised pump, will be fully contained within the black donut!
“While the technology is complex, the idea behind the AMT system is relatively simple and powered by the tyre itself as it rolls down the road. A tyre that can maintain its own inflation is something drivers have wanted for many years. Goodyear has taken on this challenge and the progress we have made is very encouraging. This will become the kind of technological breakthrough that people will wonder how they ever lived without,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear’s Chief Technical Officer.
Last month, Goodyear successfully applied for a grant from the Luxemburg government for R&D of an AMT system for consumer tyres. That work will be conducted at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg. In the US, the Department of Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technology recently awarded Goodyear a $1.5 million grant for R&D and demonstration of the AMT system for commercial truck tyres.
So things are looking good for the AMT, but Goodyear isn’t giving any timeline on when this tech would be commercially available. In the meantime, make it a habit to regularly check your tyre pressure for fuel savings, optimum road holding and longer tyre life.
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