Bridgestone’s Airless Tires Are Finally on the Road, but Only at 12 MPH

Eighteen years of development, three generations of airless tires, and Bridgestone has finally put its AirFree technology into commercial service. The first vehicle to get it? A self-driving shuttle limited to 12 mph (20 km/h). It may look like a stretched golf cart, but for Bridgestone, this small fleet in Higashiomi, Japan, is a major step.

The autonomous shuttles will carry older residents around the city and mark the first regular commercial use of AirFree tires. Bridgestone built its first airless tire in 2008 before showing the current third-generation design in 2023. Until now, the technology had only appeared in limited trials. Nikkei Asia reports that the latest tires are still suitable only for “relatively slow vehicles,” so your family car isn't losing its air valves yet.

AirFree tires replace the usual air-filled structure with thermoplastic resin spokes and a thin rubber tread where the tire meets the road. According to Bridgestone engineer Masaki Ota, the real progress came when the team stopped chasing harder materials. Instead, it developed a flexible, recyclable resin and changed the structure to spread loads more evenly. That helps the tire survive daily use while keeping the ride from becoming painfully harsh.

The blue spokes are also intentional. Bridgestone calls the shade “Empowering Blue” and says it makes the tires easier to see during the day and at dusk. There's still no timeline for mass production, and the company is considering a business model that could combine the tires with services such as recycling. For now, their 12-mph working life is about as gentle as a tire could ask for.

Bridgestone is already looking far beyond Japanese city shuttles. The company is developing metal-structured lunar rover tires based on the same AirFree idea. Apparently, the road from golf-cart speeds to the Moon runs through Higashiomi.