STRINGENT compliance to laws such as less noise, rolling resistance and enhanced wet braking performance regulations in Europe is prompting tyre makers to rethink the design of tyres.
Italian tyre maker Pirelli sees a future with tall and skinny tyres to take over the current conventional squat, wide tyres, which are “terrible for noise and rolling resistance”.
Pirelli explained that a taller and narrower tyre takes up only a narrow area in contact with the road, adding that a typical tyre is expected to grow to about 21 inches in diameter by 2020, compared with a 16-inch standard size of the current tyres, with a narrow tread and a deep sidewall.
High rolling resistance is not congruent with fuel efficiency, whilst noise could mean many things , including resonances over different surfaces.
The tyre rating rules introduced in Europe last year will see amendments in 2016 and 2020. The revisions will keep the tyre technology on its toes with upgraded standards to meet the top ratings.
“There are gradings now for ultra-low rolling resistance tyres, and there are a couple of tyres on the market that we call `AA’, as in they get an ‘A’ for rolling resistance and an ‘A’ for wet-braking performance,” Simon Pool, Pirelli Australia technical manager, said.
Pool described the tyre of the future that is likely to surpass the feature changes as ones that look more like motorcycle tyres than car wheels, such as in Audi’s Urban Concept, a lightweight two-seater with thin wheels.
BMW’s i3 electric car will be among the first production vehicles to adopt the new breed of tire.
BMW’s concept car i3 will be amongst the first production vehicles to adopt the new tyre design. The electric car’s tyres will have an improved range and low down noise , which reports claimed to be one of the quietest vehicles to cruise the road.