After the invention of vulcanized rubber by Charles Goodyear in 1839, rubber tires began to be widely used in various vehicles. But until the end of the 19th century, the rubber tires on cars were solid. These tires have poor ability to absorb road impact, resulting in violent vibrations and loud noises when the car is driving. Although the speed of the car was very slow at the time, in order to cope with the impact of the road, the suspension and body had to be designed very heavy to increase the mechanical strength.

The birth of pneumatic tires

In 1845, the Scotsman Robert William Thomson first invented and patented the pneumatic tire. However, due to the limitations of the rubber production technology and the development of the automobile industry at that time, his pneumatic tire technology was not widely used.

After the technology of pneumatic tires was shelved for 42 years, another Scot, John Boyd Dunlop, invented the first practical pneumatic tire for tricycles in 1887. Pneumatic tire technology became a household name in 1889 after a cyclist named Willie Hume used Dunlop's pneumatic tires to great race results.

The first pneumatic bicycle tire

The first detachable bicycle tire

In 1891, brothers Édouard & André Michelin invented the pneumatic bicycle tire that could be changed in fifteen minutes. The product was quickly adopted by cyclists of the time. In 1895, they first developed pneumatic tires suitable for automobiles and equipped them on racing cars of their own design. In the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race, the two brothers went into battle in person, ran the entire distance well, and made a sensation in Paris. With the technical advantages of its pneumatic tires, from 1900 to 1912, Michelin tires were successful in all major international motoring events.

Early pneumatic car tires

Detachable car tires

Radial tire

In 1915, San Diego tire maker and inventor Arthur William Savage patented the first radial tire. In 1946, Michelin further improved the design of radial tires and achieved mass production, which was officially introduced to the market in 1949. In the following 30 years, Michelin has continuously expanded its technical advantages in radial tires, and has successively launched the first radial tires for trucks, motorcycles, construction machinery vehicles, agricultural vehicles, and aircraft.

The main difference between radial tires and another tire structure, the bias tire, is the carcass structure of the two tires.

The carcass ply of a bias tire is composed of several layers of hanging rubber ply. Adjacent ply cords are arranged to cross each other. The cord arrangement of the radial tire carcass is different from that of the bias tire. Its cords do not cross each other, but are parallel to the meridian section of the tire, which is arranged like the meridian on the globe. Since the tire has to bear a large tangential force when driving, in order to ensure the stability of the cord, there are several layers of belt layers made of high-strength, non-stretchable materials on the outside of the radial tire carcass. The carcass structure of radial tires provides better cushioning and grip, thus significantly improving vehicle comfort and handling. When driving at high speed, the friction between the cords of radial tires is lighter than that of bias tires, and the heat generation is small. Therefore, it has the advantages of wear resistance, low rolling resistance and high limit speed.

Tubeless tires

Tubeless tires refer to a tire structure that does not require an inner tube and can be airtight by the cooperation of the outer tire and the rim. It is commonly known as "tubeless tire" in China. In fact, the inside of a "tubeless tire" is not a vacuum, but is filled with compressed air like a normal tire.

Compared with traditional tube tires, tubeless tires do not have the friction between the inner tube and the outer tire. This reduces heat generation, resistance, noise and vibration when the tires are rolling, and improves vehicle fuel economy and comfort. At the same time, the use of tubeless tires reduces the weight of the entire wheel, improving the comfort and handling of the vehicle. In addition, tubeless tires have lower air pressure and will leak slowly when punctured, giving the driver more opportunity to control the vehicle.

Tubeless tires have been standard on new models since 1955.

"Green" tires with low rolling resistance

Nearly one-fifth of the fuel consumed by a car is used to overcome the rolling resistance of the tires while driving. Therefore, reducing the rolling resistance of the tires is one of the important means to improve the fuel economy of automobiles.

In 1992, green tires were launched. Green tires incorporate silicon raw materials into tire treads as a partial replacement for carbon black. Silicon helps reduce tire grip (especially on slippery roads) and wear resistance by 25% without reducing tire grip Rolling resistance left and right. This technology can reduce the fuel consumption of vehicles by about 0.15 liters per 100 kilometers.

Wheel hub motors and "active wheels"

In-wheel motor technology refers to the integration of the braking system and the motor and transmission system that drives the wheels into the interior of the wheel, which greatly simplifies the mechanical structure of electric vehicles. Since the 4 wheels are driven by independent motors, it is very easy to realize the independent control of the driving force of the 4 wheels, which can significantly improve the dynamic performance and off-road performance of the vehicle.

The active motor technology of tire manufacturers is another innovation on the basis of ordinary in-wheel motor technology. By reducing the size of the components, Michelin managed to integrate the brake disc, drive motor and active suspension inside the wheel. It can greatly simplify the car chassis structure and make more available space for passengers and battery packs. Small electric vehicles can also be equipped with active suspension, which can significantly improve comfort and handling, as the active suspension, which usually takes up a lot of space, is integrated into the wheel interior.

Active wheels

Airless tires

In 2005, the company launched airless tire technology on the market. The structure of this tire is that the tread made of rubber and the hub are connected by soft and deformable polyurethane spokes, so that the rim and the tire form a whole.

Airless tires

The biggest advantage of the Tweel tire's polyurethane spoke structure is that it enables tire designers to optimize its longitudinal stiffness (corresponding to comfort) and lateral stiffness (corresponding to handling) separately to achieve both handling and comfort. Gives Tweel performance that exceeds traditional pneumatic tires.

In addition, airless tires also have the advantages of no maintenance, more wear resistance, and easy recycling.