American tire company Goodyear will debut a 3D printed tire concept this week at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. Called Oxygene, the tire touts many potential environmental benefits, including improving air quality in cities and recycling old waste rubber.
Air pollution is on the rise but could car tires be the answer to the problem? In 2016, World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement explaining that more than 80% of people living in urban areas which measure pollution are exposed to poor air quality levels which exceed the agency’s limits.
Now, Goodyear, the American tire company, is unveiling a design concept for a tire which could improve air quality in our cities. The company is set to reveal the tire, called Oxygene, at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. The show runs from 8th – 18th of March.
Goodyear’s aim is to produce a tire which can improve urban transport and provide cleaner air, safer vehicles and reduce material waste and energy loss. Better yet, the company is using 3D printing to create the tires from recycled materials.
“With more than two-thirds of the world population expected to live in cities by 2050, the demands on transport networks in urban environments will increase substantially. Smarter, greener infrastructure and transport will be crucial in addressing the most pressing challenges of urban mobility and development,” Chris Delaney, President of Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa, explains.
Goodyear is focusing on the principles of a circular economy — keeping materials in use for as long as possible — to create the Oxygene tire. Delaney continues:
“Like the concept designs Goodyear has presented at Geneva in the past, Oxygene is meant to challenge our thinking and help drive the debate around smart, safe and sustainable future mobility. By contributing in this way to cleaner air generation, the tire could help enhance quality of life and health for city-dwellers.”
Features of the Oxygene tire include:
Goodyear’s Oxygene tire is currently only a concept. However, it’s certainly an interesting indication of what cars could look like in the future. Check out the company’s previous concept tire from 2016.
Source: PR Newswire
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