As automation reshapes mobility, Bridgestone and Michelin are accelerating their work on airless tyres — aiming to eliminate punctures in future vehicle fleets. The technology, still in prototype stages, is being trialled on low-speed autonomous vehicles in Japan and Europe, with a view to scaling up for broader deployment.
Bridgestone is currently testing its latest air-free tyre design on autonomous shuttles operating in remote Japanese communities. The tyre, capable of supporting a 1-tonne vehicle at speeds of 60 km/h, is being trialled in areas where driver shortages are acute and maintenance access is limited.
The design uses a flexible spoke system enclosed in a rubber tread, allowing for deformation at speed without compromising fuel economy or ride quality — key limitations in earlier solid tyre models.
Masaki Ota, who leads Bridgestone’s new mobility initiatives, said the goal is to avoid breakdowns in inaccessible areas, which could become a critical safety and operational issue for autonomous fleets.
Michelin, which began developing airless tyres over two decades ago, has conducted limited real-world trials with its Uptis design. These include fleet testing with DHL and La Poste in France, although the product remains pre-commercial.
Challenges identified include noise generation, debris ejection from exposed spokes, and maintaining long-term performance under real-world load and speed conditions.
CEO Florent Menegaux stated the tyre is not yet ready for mass-market production, but affirmed Michelin’s continued commitment to development in this area.
Despite engineering advances, both manufacturers acknowledge that cost remains a barrier. Airless tyres are currently several times more expensive to produce than conventional pneumatic tyres. As such, both companies are targeting lower-performance segments first, contrary to the traditional innovation path that starts with motorsport or premium applications.
Bridgestone is using in-field demonstrations to assess customer demand, including a pilot in Higashiomi, where over half the local population is over 65.
According to Tire Industry Research, the shift towards airless designs is partly driven by competitive pressure. With volumes falling and margins squeezed by low-cost rivals, manufacturers are looking to increase customer retention through service-based models, such as tyre retreading.
Air-free tyres could offer a longer lifespan — up to 10 years versus the typical 3–5 for pneumatic tyres — with retreading opportunities built into the design.
The push towards airless tyres reflects a broader trend in the tyre industry towards reliability, automation-readiness, and total cost-of-ownership models. While technical and cost challenges remain, the increasing integration of tyres into smart, connected, and autonomous systems is forcing manufacturers to rethink the foundational design of tyres themselves. Airless designs could play a key role in unlocking scalable, low-maintenance solutions for both fleet and rural mobility — particularly in ageing societies or last-mile logistics.
Tagged with: airless tyres, Bridgestone, Michelin, autonomous vehicles, puncture-free tyres, EV tyres, tyre innovation, fleet mobility, tyre safety
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