Renewing tyres with tread capsules – Goodyear presents reCharge concept

It takes more than the cancellation of one of Europe’s largest motor shows to hold a good concept back – car makers are going ahead and presenting the new products and visions for the future they’d intended to display in Geneva this week. Tyre maker Goodyear is too, and has unveiled what it calls a “revolutionary self-regenerating concept tyre that can adapt and change to meet individual mobility needs.” Meet the Goodyear reCharge.

“Goodyear wants the tyre to be an even more powerful contributor to answering consumers’ specific mobility needs,” comments Mike Rytokoski, vice-president and chief marketing officer, Goodyear Europe, “It was with that ambition that we set out to create a concept tyre primed for the future of personalised and convenient electric mobility.”

The reCharge concept includes a number of innovative features that are built around three pillars:

Personalised:

At the core of the reCharge concept is a reloadable and biodegradable tread compound that can be recharged with individual capsules, making the process of replacing tyres much simpler. Filled with a customised liquid compound, these capsules allow the tread to regenerate and the tyre to adapt over time to climatic circumstances, road conditions, or simply how you want to travel. Thanks to artificial intelligence a driver profile would be created, around which the liquid compound would be customised, generating a compound blend tailored to each individual.

Sustainable:

The compound itself would be made from a biological material and would be reinforced with fibres inspired by one of the toughest natural materials in the world – spider silk. This would make it both extremely durable and 100 per cent biodegradable.

Hassle-Free

In addition to radically simplifying the process of replacing tyres with rechargeable capsules, the tread would be supported by a lightweight, non-pneumatic frame and tall-and-narrow shape. This is a thin, robust low-maintenance construction that would eliminate the need for pressure maintenance or downtime related to punctures.

“The Goodyear reCharge is a concept tyre without compromise, supporting personalised, sustainable and hassle-free electric mobility,” concludes Sebastien Fontaine, lead designer at the Goodyear Innovation Centre in Luxembourg.