Bridgestone is developing tires that use slanted resin spokes instead of a cushion of air to absorb shocks. Here's what the company showed at the Paris Motor Show.
Bridgestone showed off a second-generation prototype of its Air Free tire at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. The company is developing tires that use slanted resin spokes instead of a cushion of air to absorb shocks.
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Bridgestone Air Free tires
The outside of the airless tire is coated with a replaceable tread made of a thin band of solid rubber.
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Bridgestone Air Free concept tire
When the rubber part of the tire wears out, a new one can be fitted by heating it up and slipping it on, says Olivier Monbet, leader of Bridgestone's technical department for France and Benelux.
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These small Toyota electric vehicles in Tokyo will be used to test Bridgestone's Air Free concept tire. This one was shown at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.