Airless tire

Other problems for airless heavy equipment tires include dissipating the heat buildup that occurs when they are driven.

However, airless tires are not popular with hardcore off-roaders, as those vehicles often need to travel long distances at highway speeds.

At speeds above 80 km/h, they can be unstable, causing severe vibrations (and passenger discomfort), and therefore potential for drivers to lose vehicle control.

Michelin claims its "Tweel" has load carrying, shock absorbing, and handling characteristics that compare favorably to conventional pneumatic tires.

Resilient Technologies and the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Polymer Engineering Center are creating a "non-pneumatic tire", which is a round polymeric honeycomb wrapped with a thick, black tread.

[10][11] It is also the first group to make a commercially available mass-produced airless tire after its acquisition by Polaris,[12] albeit only as coupled with their vehicle.

[13] The Energy return wheel (ERW) has the outer edge of the tire connected to the inner rim by a system of springs.