Goodyear Announce EV Tyre Charging Concept

The future of transportation is electric. More and more car manufacturers are turning away from standard internal combustion engines and moving towards an electric future. At the forefront of this technology are manufacturers and designers from all over the planet, but the big advances are coming from firms such as Tesla who are leading the way with their ultra fast S and X models.

The move to electric, no matter which way they are charged, is a smart one, as it is only a matter of time before our reliance on fossil fuels is reduced due to these types of fuel becoming less available. Sooner, rather than later, electric cars are going to take up a large portion of the vehicle market.

People say that the the most important question regarding electric vehicles will always be the range of the car. This is why designers at Goodyear are moving from the drawing board to concept stage in the battle for charging solutions. Goodyear’s concept tires will make it possible for the car to be charged as it drives along.

Earlier this week at the Geneva International Auto Show, Goodyear unveiled the new concept tires. The basic concept is quite simple, (although the technology won’t be), the tires will convert any accumulated heat into energy, which will then be harnessed in order to charge the electric motors in the vehicle.

The concept tyre is called BH03 and has a very fresh and unique design. Goodyear has a couple of designs for the new tyres: First of which are black patches on the tyre’s surface which are capable of absorbing the sun’s heat. This will be useful when the car is is parked for any period of time. The second option is for the tyre to collect heat that is generated from friction whilst the vehicle is in motion, coupled with the heat that is generated from the tire as it flexes.

Both of these conceptual designs are another step forward in the electric transport of the very near future. I can’t see these tyres coming to market soon, but who knows how quickly the electric vehicle market is going to proceed?

[image via zdnet & biser3a]

SOURCE: UberGizmo