Goodyear has developed a non-pneumatic (airless) tyre (NPT) and wheel assembly for autonomous vehicle mobility in a city setting for in-field usage with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), which is an industry first.
Goodyear and Local Motors have been testing an Olli shuttle backed by the NPT at Goodyear testing facilities and other sites for the past three years, achieving several performance benchmarks in terms of load, speed, and durability.
Goodyear's NPT focus shifted to on-road testing and a growing connection with Local Motors in 2019. While additional information concerning non-pneumatic tyres will be revealed throughout this round of testing, airless tyres may provide a more sustainable, maintenance-free, and long-lasting solution. Because of its lower speed and less changeable travel pathways, the urban transportation environment is an appropriate testing platform for the alternative tyre architecture.
Goodyear and Local Motors will collect data from the JTA, including feedback on ride comfort, noise, and other factors of its airless tyre.
“As mobility evolves, we feel that tyres can transform the way we move and alternative airless architectures are ideal, particularly in the emerging autonomous transportation environment,” said Michael Rachita, Goodyear’s senior program manager, non-pneumatic tyres. “This is an important milestone as we look to advance mobility today and as we look to introduce the first completely sustainable and maintenance-free tyres by the end of the decade.”
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“The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is proud to integrate this innovative and sustainable technology into our Autonomous Vehicle Test & Learn program as we develop the future of mobility through the Ultimate Urban Circulator,” said JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. “This collaboration is another example of how Jacksonville is leading the public transportation industry in developing AV mobility solutions.”
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“Testing with best-in-class software and technology partners is enabling the JTA to lead globally in readiness for the use of the autonomous platform in an urban environment. We are excited for the opportunity to extend the Test & Learn program with the JTA, Goodyear and Local Motors to prove out the use of other innovations such as the Goodyear airless tyres, as this will only further transform transportation as we know it,” said Joe Moye, Beep CEO.
"Autonomous vehicles, like Olli, need to decrease maintenance costs and perform reliably," said Local Motors President Vikrant Aggarwal. "Goodyear's non-pneumatic tyres are positioned to give maintenance teams less to worry about while giving passengers a quiet, consistent ride. Non-pneumatic tyres may just be the industry standard in the coming years."
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