When you talk about all the different aspects of a car, tires aren’t always the first thing you look at. After all, they’re more of a functional necessity than an accessory designed to please the eye. And yet, without them, cars wouldn’t even exist.
Those four bits of rubber that separate your car from the ground are not only important in actually making the car propel forward, but there are also different types to suit specific functions. In this article, we take a look at how tires developed, how they’re made, the different kinds available, and the possible types we’ll be seeing in the future.
A history of tires
You can’t talk about the tire without first mentioning one of mankind’s most important inventions: the wheel. The wheel is thought to have been invented around 3500BC. As time passed, wheels were used for things like wheelbarrows, chariots, and even toys.
The first signs of the pneumatic (meaning containing or operated using gas or air pressure) tire was in a patent filed by Scottish inventor Robert William Thomson in 1847. However, it wasn’t until John Boyd Dunlop made his own version of the air-filled tire in 1888 did the invention become reality. Originally, Dunlop sought to make his son’s tricycle more comfortable by using canvas bonded with liquid rubber. Cyclist Willie Hume generated publicity for the new technology when he won some races using them in Northern Ireland.
These victories caught the attention of businessman Harvey du Cros, who saw the commercial potential of the pneumatic tire. He would later establish a company that would buy out Dunlop’s patent (though the patent was later rendered invalid due to Thomson’s original filing) and called it the Pneumatic Tyre and Booth’s Cycle Agency. This company would later evolve into what is presently known as Dunlop Tires.
Other companies would add their own innovations to the pneumatic tire throughout the 20th century. In 1946, for example, Michelin came up with the idea of the radial method of construction.
Different types of tires
Just as there is no one size of tire that fits every single car, there are also different types of tires made for specific purposes. The following is a rundown of some of the more common kinds:
- Summer: These tires are designed to handle well in wet and dry conditions during warmer weather, with a special rubber compound that allows them to do so. Summer tires typically have a more streamlined tread pattern, with more emphasis on maximizing the contact patch rather than water clearance.
- Winter: The compound used in winter tires contains more natural rubber, making them better able to withstand colder temperatures as the tire stays flexible rather than hardening. These sorts of tires have deep treads—the cuts you see along a tire’s surface—to better dig into snow and ice for better grip. They also have lots of sipes, which are thin slits along the tire’s contact surfaces, for the same reason.
- All-season: Like the name implies, these tires are designed for the rigors of all-around use at any time of the year. They generally have larger tread marks than conventional tires, but smaller ones compared to snow tires.
- Off-road: These tires have wide treads that run deep, resulting in better performance along mud, grass, and snow as the grooves are able to dig through most obstacles to find adequate traction. You might see these on SUVs and pickups fitted with snorkels, tow hooks, and the like.
- Run-flat: If you’re worried about flat tires, these might be the right ones for you. Run-flats have thick, reinforced sidewalls, and can be used temporarily in the event of a puncture. These can last up to 80km while damaged, giving you ample time and distance to find a repair shop. The downside, though, is that these tires aren’t repairable—a punctured run-flat requires a full replacement.
What kind of tires are used for racing?
Just as there are different kinds of tires for road use, the same goes for those employed in racing competitions. Here are some of the ones you will see on racetracks, dirt tracks, and even on the street:
- Slicks: If you’re a fan of Formula 1, then you will have seen these in use while the weather is nice and dry. These tires are smooth in appearance and have no treads, maximizing the tire’s contact with the road to provide optimum traction.
- Wet weather: But when the weather in an F1 race isn’t cooperating, you may notice that the cars will suddenly pull into the pits for a quick tire change. Wet tires allow race cars to maintain control while it’s raining on the track.
- Multi-purpose: There are times when the weather and road conditions are unpredictable. That’s where tires that can perform adequately under most conditions are suitable.
- Tarmac: If you’re racing on tarmac but fear that the weather might change without ample time for a pit stop, then racing slicks won’t cut it. Tarmac tires offer enough tread to deal with situations like these.
- Gravel: If a race involves tough terrain like mud and rocks, then you’ll want tires with deep treads to match. Gravel tires tend to also come with protection along the sides to prevent damage.
What will the tires of the future look like?
While the technology and materials used to manufacture them have changed significantly since Thomson and Dunlop filed their patents nearly two centuries ago, the overall concept of the pneumatic tire has changed little since then.
However, some companies have proposed changes to the tire as we know it. And no, we’re not talking about getting rid of them altogether in favor of flying cars. The following are a couple of examples of different kinds of tires we might be seeing in the not-so-distant future.
- Self-sealing: Believe it or not, these types of tires already exist. These tires use sealant housed inside the tire to automatically seal any puncture, thereby retaining the existing air pressure and preventing any possible leakage.
- Airless: This is about as non-pneumatic as a tire can get. Rather than using air to maintain the tire’s shape and structure, these designs use spokes instead. The advantage of this is, of course, removing the need to reinflate your tires. The apparent disadvantages include increased rolling resistance (meaning your car has to expend more energy to propel itself) and harsher ride quality versus standard pneumatic tires.
- Regenerating: In 2020, Goodyear introduced its reCharge Concept. This tire uses a reloadable and biodegradable tread compound that can be recharged using capsules. Thus, the tire essentially regenerates itself, prolonging its lifespan. This also makes the tire malleable to road conditions and individual driving styles.
- 3D-printed: Imagine if you could replace your tire tread by simply inputting a design into your computer and having it 3D-printed. Michelin introduced this very idea in 2017 through its Vision concept.
- Artificial intelligence: We already have self-driving cars, but what about self-aware tires? This was another idea from Goodyear. The Eagle 360 Urban concept employs a bionic skin and a sensor network to monitor its own status and gather information about its environment. It would take this information and, paired with an autonomous car’s own AI, decide on the best course of action in any given scenario.
