SINGAPORE – It is a delivery run for the history books, with the public getting its first look in Singapore at a van fitted with puncture-proof tyres as it made its way from the DHL Express office in Tai Seng Drive to Potong Pasir.
Right from the get-go, onlookers’ eyes were drawn to the prototype tyres, which look visibly different from conventional ones. The tyres have sturdy rubbery strut-like structures to keep them propped up, instead of being filled with air.
By the end of 2023, DHL Express will have around 50 vans fitted with such tyres as part of a trial by French tyre maker Michelin. The test will run until 2025, following smaller-scale tests under controlled conditions here, which The Straits Times reported on in December 2022.
The tyres looked slightly compressed under the weight of the van but Michelin said this is how they usually look. The imprint at the edge of the tyres indicates that they can each bear a maximum load of 650kg.
Besides Singapore, the puncture-proof tyre technology is also being tested in Thailand and the United States.
Michelin said the puncture-proof tyres last as long as conventional tyres. It said it is also researching the use of 3D-printing technology to add new materials onto a worn tyre, extending its service life and reducing waste.
The tyre company estimated that globally, 20 per cent of tyres on the road are taken out of service before they are fully worn because of flats, blowouts or irregular wear and tear when they are not pumped to the right amount of air pressure. Michelin said this means its puncture-proof tyres could save up to 200 million tyres annually from being prematurely scrapped.
The tyres used for the test in Singapore are manufactured in South Carolina in the United States. They come sealed to the specially made wheels and are bolted directly onto the vans without needing any modifications to the vehicle.
Michelin said it is discussing with industrial partners on making the technology available commercially by “mid-decade”. This potentially puts the French tyre maker ahead of rivals like Bridgestone from Japan, Hankook from South Korea and American brand Goodyear, which have either made announcements or presented early prototypes of similar ideas.
