Checking your tyre pressures could be a thing of the past thanks to an innovation from Goodyear, shown in public for the first time at the Geneva motor show.
Goodyear's air maintenance technology has been under development in laboratories over the past two years, and now visitors to the show will see how tyres can remain inflated at the optimum pressure without the need for any external pumps, electronics or driver intervention - which, says Goodyear, will lead to a lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
This is not pie in the sky
Running slightly underinflated tyres (not even enough to see or feel in the car's handling), will cost you between 2.5 percent and 3.3 percent extra in fuel consumption - that's about 57 litres of fuel a year for the average family car at a current price of R10.65 a litre.
And, let's face it, how many people actually get out of their cars at the garage and check their tyre pressures?
According to research commissioned by Goodyear, about half the drivers surveyed didn't know how often they were supposed to check their tyre pressures and one in three admitted they wouldn't bother, even before a long trip.
REDUCED TREAD AREA
Properly inflated tyres are also necessary to keep the vehicle's handling performance at optimal levels, especially its cornering abilities. Under-inflation means less evenly distributed pressure on the road. It also reduces the tread area that is in direct contact with the road.
Goodyear chief technical officer Jean-Claude Kihn explained: “Drivers often overlook the importance of maintaining proper tyre pressure.
“We believe this technology will enhance safe driving and performance; and have a positive impact on the environment through improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and extended tyre life.”
HUMAN PROBLEM
OK, it's a human problem, not a technological one, but the answer may very well lie in the little white block you see inside the demo tyre - although it must be noted that Goodyear very carefully doesn't tell us how it works!
Nevertheless, they got a $1.5 million (R11.4 million) grant from the US government an another from the government of Luxembourg (which is where the research is being done) to help turn a clever idea into a commercial reality, although Kihn won't put a timetable on it.