Goodyear Airless tyre technology to debut in early 2018
Goodyear has been working on the airless tyre technology for quite sometime now. The tyre manufacturer has now announced a non-pneumatic, or airless, turf tyre that will be introduced in commercial mowing. The same will be offered to the Bad Boy Mowers' Outlaw XP, a zero-turn radius model, sometime in early 2018. The company states that the new tech is a part of the company's strategy to develop maintenance-free technologies for passenger and commercial vehicles, particularly in fleet applications.
Goodyear's DuraWeb technology has been in development for the past few years at the company's Innovation Center in Akron. The same is being manufactured in the U.S exclusively for Bad Boy Mowers.The tire features a thermoplastic connecting structure that provides a combination of stiffness and flexibility to carry heavy loads while maintaining a smooth ride and minimizing turf tear. It was designed to deform, absorb impact, and create a smooth ride every time.
"The commercial release of this turf tire is an important step in our efforts to develop airless tire technology for a range of applications," said Christopher Helsel, Goodyear chief technology officer. He further added, "As we look to a future where ride sharing and autonomous vehicles become mainstream, the demand for lower maintenance, longer lasting tires will continue to increase."
