Toyota eyes airless tyres in bid to build lighter electric vehicles

Tokyo

TOYOTA Motor Corp is eyeing airless tyres to help reduce the weight of battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles and boost performance, even though the technology is years away from being ready for commercial use.

The carmaker is using airless tyres - featuring individual motors in each wheel - on a vehicle for the first time with its hydrogen-powered concept car, Fine-Comfort Ride, unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last week, chief engineer Takao Sato said. Since such tyres comprise a band of rubber encircling a plastic-aluminium hub, the premise is that they could one day compensate for the weight of the motors, he said.