Car manufacturers are increasingly using ecologically responsible materials, such as cork or plastics from recycled PET bottles. Tire manufacturer Michelin also says it has an eye for the environment. The tire farmer says he will only produce fully sustainable tires from 2050.
From 2050, all car tires produced by Michelin will be completely sustainable, the tire manufacturer announced. From 2050, all car tires will be made from fully renewable, recycled or natural materials.
In addition to rubber, car tires are also made of metal, fibers, plasticizers and things that strengthen the structure of the tire. Think of carbon lack (carbon black) and silica (silicon dioxide). In 2020, according to Michelin, about 28 percent of the materials it uses in its tires was ‘sustainable’. So the company still has a long way to go to get that percentage to 100. Michelin is collaborating with start-ups such as Axens, IFP Energies Nouvelles, Pyrowave and Carbios, among others. Michelin is setting up a facility together with the Swedish company Enviro where car tires can be recycled.
Michelin is also once again highlighting a conceptual tire of the future presented in 2017, an airless specimen that is – yes – completely connected. This Vision tire has a special structure so that no air has to be pumped into it. You can restore the tread of the tire using a 3D printer, according to Michelin. In addition, the Vision tire is larded with sensors that monitor the condition of the tire, among other things.