Could These Tires Change the Way We Drive Forever?

Amaze Lab

This tire might kind of look like an ole-timey covered wagon wheel, but it’s actually quite the opposite. This is the tire recently unveiled by the SMART Tire Company, something they say could change the way we drive.

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00:00This tire might kind of look like an old-timey covered wagon wheel, but it's actually quite

00:07the opposite.

00:08This is the tire recently unveiled by the Smart Tire Company, something they say could

00:13change the way we drive.

00:14The wheel was designed after the ones used on the first Lunar Rover, and it doesn't need

00:18any air.

00:19That means punctures could soon be a thing of the past.

00:21But what's really revolutionary is what it's made of.

00:24Here's co-founder and CEO of the company, Earl Cole, to explain.

00:28What makes Shape Memory Alloys so special is it's like a super-elastic material.

00:33It's a very flexible, lightweight metal that's elastic like rubber, but strong like titanium.

00:40So you can actually deflect a tire way down to the rim, and it would just always bounce

00:45back to its original shape.

00:46And that's an important thing to note, is car manufacturing shifts towards the electric

00:49market.

00:50Because of their heavy batteries, electric vehicles are heavier, meaning they need stronger

00:54wheels that won't wear out as quickly.

00:56And this new kind of tire could be a boon to sustainability in that regard, as car tires

01:00are a leading cause of microplastic pollution.

01:02The Smart Tire Company is looking to release a version of it for bikes next year, with

01:06another larger set to be installed on the next Lunar Rover, which will carry astronauts

01:10around the moon once again as part of the Artemis V mission.

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