en.Wedoany.com Reported - After nearly 20 years of prototype development, Bridgestone has officially launched the commercialization of its airless tire, Airfree, though the product is still some distance away from widespread application in everyday passenger vehicles.

Bridgestone has been developing the Airfree tire since 2008, and the current version is the third generation. The tire is made of thermoplastic resin with a layer of rubber on the outside. The vehicles equipped with Airfree tires are a batch of autonomous electric vehicles that resemble elongated golf carts.

According to Nikkei Asia, the autonomous electric vehicles equipped with Airfree tires have a top speed of 20 km/h and can climb steep slopes and travel on rough roads. The low top speed is one of the main factors limiting the tire's widespread use in mainstream vehicles. Additionally, performance issues, high costs, weight, and efficiency are also challenges for its promotion. However, due to its non-pneumatic design, the tire completely eliminates the risk of punctures.

Bridgestone has not yet announced a specific timeline for mass production and broader promotion of the Airfree tire. Even so, the company plans to apply the development experience from Airfree tires to other fields, such as developing metal structure tires for lunar rovers based on the tire's design principles.

At the industry level, Michelin is also advancing airless tire technology. Its UPTIS (Unique Puncture-Proof Tyre System) tire debuted in 2019 as a concept for passenger car airless tires and was planned to be launched in collaboration with General Motors in 2024, but this goal has not yet been achieved.

Although it remains uncertain whether airless tires will eventually be used in everyday passenger cars, Michelin already offers an airless radial tire called Tweel for small commercial applications such as all-terrain vehicles, golf carts, and ride-on lawn mowers.