Goodyear has announced a tyre with moss growing within its sidewall – a seemingly novel line of attack in the battle against urban air pollution.
The firm says a unique structure lies at the heart of the concept tyre, named Oxygene. As Goodyear puts it: “This open structure and the tyre’s smart tread design absorb and circulate moisture and water from the road surface, allowing photosynthesis to occur and therefore releasing oxygen into the air.”
Goodyear says the tyre is inspired by the principles of the circular economy, with emphasis on reducing material waste, emissions, and energy loss. But several capabilities are emphasised in the announcement.
Aside from cleaning the air (“Oxygene absorbs moisture from the road through its unique tread and inhales CO2 from the air to feed the moss in its sidewall and release oxygen via photosynthesis”), the product also claims a win in its recycling of worn tyres.
The tyre seemingly features a “non-pneumatic construction that is 3D-printed with rubber powder from recycled tyres.”
And it also generates its own electricity, harvesting the energy generated from photosynthesis to power onboard electronics. A customisable light strip in the tyre’s sidewall switches colours, says Goodyear, warning road users and pedestrians of upcoming manoeuvres, such as lane changes or braking.
The tyre also uses a visible light communications system, or LiFi, for high-capacity mobile connectivity.
