This tire might kind of look like an ole-timey covered wagon wheel, but it’s actually quite the opposite. This is the tire recently unveiled by the SMART Tire Company, something they say could change the way we drive.
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00:00This tire might kind of look like an old-timey covered wagon wheel, but it's actually quite
00:07the opposite.
00:08This is the tire recently unveiled by the Smart Tire Company, something they say could
00:13change the way we drive.
00:14The wheel was designed after the ones used on the first Lunar Rover, and it doesn't need
00:18any air.
00:19That means punctures could soon be a thing of the past.
00:21But what's really revolutionary is what it's made of.
00:24Here's co-founder and CEO of the company, Earl Cole, to explain.
00:28What makes Shape Memory Alloys so special is it's like a super-elastic material.
00:33It's a very flexible, lightweight metal that's elastic like rubber, but strong like titanium.
00:40So you can actually deflect a tire way down to the rim, and it would just always bounce
00:45back to its original shape.
00:46And that's an important thing to note, is car manufacturing shifts towards the electric
00:49market.
00:50Because of their heavy batteries, electric vehicles are heavier, meaning they need stronger
00:54wheels that won't wear out as quickly.
00:56And this new kind of tire could be a boon to sustainability in that regard, as car tires
01:00are a leading cause of microplastic pollution.
01:02The Smart Tire Company is looking to release a version of it for bikes next year, with
01:06another larger set to be installed on the next Lunar Rover, which will carry astronauts
01:10around the moon once again as part of the Artemis V mission.