Nissan has filed a patent for a new airless tire, which is not a new concept by any means. CarBuzz discovered the patent, filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization. Goodyear was first out of the gates with its airless tire technology in 2022, and a year later, Michelin introduced the Uptis.
The Japanese brand's airless tire uses the same concept. Because the tire isn't fully enclosed due to the lack of a sidewall, an airless tire needs to be made up of various spokes arranged in a way to sufficiently soak up bumps and provide grip.
According to Nissan, the main problem is the load forces on the spokes closest to the ground. A quick fix would be to make the outer part of the airless tire more robust, but Nissan says this would lead to a reduced contact patch, an inability to soak up imperfections, and difficulty handling lateral force when steering.
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