Development only goes one way – forward. Also in the tire industry, where Finnish Nokian believes it will have tires that change their own patterns ready within the foreseeable future.
Tires that can adapt their shape to road conditions are under development. In fact, this type of car tire is so advanced that it could be a reality within 10 years.
The technology, whose building blocks are advanced sensors, has the potential to increase traffic safety by improving a car's grip in different conditions. Nokian Tyres, a Finnish tire manufacturer, is working to make this a reality by 2035.
The basic idea behind the tire is that the rubber automatically changes pattern depending on whether the asphalt is slippery, wet or dry. The idea is not new, however. The Finns already talked about it in 2018.
According to Teemu Soini from Nokian Tyres, such a tire will be able to adapt in a way that gives the car better grip and a more stable ride. Something that can be of great importance in countries with very bad weather. Or in winter periods up here in the north.
"Self-adjusting the tread pattern according to road conditions would significantly improve the tire's handling characteristics. I believe that by 2035 Nokian Tyres will have a tire on the market that can respond to changes in driving conditions," he says .
The technology behind the self-adjusting tires is still under development, but according to Nokian Tyres, it is possible to have the tires on the market within the next decade.
The tire experts believe that the new tires could become an important part of the cars of the future, where electric and self-driving vehicles in particular can benefit from the increased safety and functionality.
The development of these tires could also have an impact on how drivers think about maintaining their vehicles. With tires that adapt to road conditions, the need to switch between summer and winter tires could potentially be reduced. However, it is still unclear how these new products will work in practice and what requirements they will place on car owners.
Nokian Tyres is doing a lot, among other things, in winter tires. For the same reason, the Finns celebrated the 90th anniversary of the winter tire earlier this year.
The ambition to make a tire that can respond to changing road conditions is a picture of how the industry as a whole is moving towards increasingly 'self-driving cars'.
If the technology lives up to expectations, it could play an important role in future road safety. The question is whether it is enough.
