Strange Non-Pneumatic Tire Technology at SEMA

While wandering the Tire and Wheel area at SEMA, I found this interesting technology, developed for the military, that’s set to expand into more widespread everyday applications in the very near future. It’s a tire solution that was developed to prevent typical pneumatic tire failures caused by punctures, ballistics, or road conditions. This tire replacement has been in testing on the military’s HMMWV “Humvee” tactical vehicles–it’s meant to be a direct replacement for the standard tires currently used in “extreme” situations. Read more…

One of the most extreme tests include firing 5 large-caliber rounds from a high velocity rifle, which resulted in only a negligible loss in the tire’s structural integrity. Amazingly, the tire could still could perform its normal function at highway speeds of 75 MPH. Bulletproof!