Photo: SMART Tire Company
The SMART Tire Company (STC) uses NASA-developed tech to make its METL tires virtually indestructible. The company won two awards at CES 2023 and is preparing to start commercial production of the revolutionary tires.
The world was never the same after the invention of the wheel, but that doesn’t mean the wheel was perfect from the start. When we look at vehicle wheels, even modern ones have their own problems. The most annoying are tire punctures, which could make a tire unusable. Nevertheless, there are other problems as well. For instance, the particles resulting from tire wear are harmful, and the recycling and production of tires are also highly polluting activities.
The SMART Tire Company (STC) aims to reinvent the wheel by making it long-lasting and puncture-proof. If you wonder why they call themselves “SMART,” it’s the acronym for Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology, a NASA-developed tech used for Lunar Rover wheels. Indeed, STC uses similar technology to make its tires, developed in partnership with NASA Glenn Research Center. Unlike rubber tires, which use pressurized air, memory alloy tires are not affected by punctures.
STC has worked with this technology for a long time, and we had already reported about their METL bicycle tires two years ago. METL means Martensite Elasticized Tubular Loading, and the tires built with this material promise to have the strength of metal tires used by NASA’s vehicles while also being able to take back the original shape after being deformed. They can easily absorb road bumps and never go flat.
Although the tires themselves use memory metal for structural strength, they still have a rubber tread for optimum grip. This is still prone to wear, but reapplying a new tread is less expensive and polluting than producing a new set of tires. Over the past year, STC has significantly reduced the material costs and is making the final tweaks before going to market. The new tires should start selling at around $100-150 for a bicycle tire in the coming months. There’s already a waiting list, if you ask.
The latest iteration of the METL tires was showcased at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. They won two innovation awards in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility category and the Sustainability, Eco-Design & Smart Energy category. Although the first STC tires are designed for bicycles, the company has big ambitions. The next targets are the e-mobility scooters, but the company wants to enter the lucrative car tire business as soon as possible.
The SMART Tire Company thinks the auto industry is where the new tire technology can make the biggest difference. Tire punctures are still common today, while loss of pressure or improper inflation can lead to increased fuel consumption, shorter range, and higher pollution. STC even sees its tires becoming a permanent part of the vehicles, outlasting other components without needing regular maintenance.
The SMART Tire Company (STC) aims to reinvent the wheel by making it long-lasting and puncture-proof. If you wonder why they call themselves “SMART,” it’s the acronym for Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology, a NASA-developed tech used for Lunar Rover wheels. Indeed, STC uses similar technology to make its tires, developed in partnership with NASA Glenn Research Center. Unlike rubber tires, which use pressurized air, memory alloy tires are not affected by punctures.
STC has worked with this technology for a long time, and we had already reported about their METL bicycle tires two years ago. METL means Martensite Elasticized Tubular Loading, and the tires built with this material promise to have the strength of metal tires used by NASA’s vehicles while also being able to take back the original shape after being deformed. They can easily absorb road bumps and never go flat.
Although the tires themselves use memory metal for structural strength, they still have a rubber tread for optimum grip. This is still prone to wear, but reapplying a new tread is less expensive and polluting than producing a new set of tires. Over the past year, STC has significantly reduced the material costs and is making the final tweaks before going to market. The new tires should start selling at around $100-150 for a bicycle tire in the coming months. There’s already a waiting list, if you ask.
The latest iteration of the METL tires was showcased at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. They won two innovation awards in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility category and the Sustainability, Eco-Design & Smart Energy category. Although the first STC tires are designed for bicycles, the company has big ambitions. The next targets are the e-mobility scooters, but the company wants to enter the lucrative car tire business as soon as possible.
The SMART Tire Company thinks the auto industry is where the new tire technology can make the biggest difference. Tire punctures are still common today, while loss of pressure or improper inflation can lead to increased fuel consumption, shorter range, and higher pollution. STC even sees its tires becoming a permanent part of the vehicles, outlasting other components without needing regular maintenance.
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