Airless tyres never go flat and do not require regular pressure checks to prevent blowouts. Toyo Tire, based just outside Osaka, expects more drivers to go airless as they switch to electric cars that can be recharged at home.

“We’ve made revolutionary advancements in our technology,” said Tamotsu Mizutani, head of research and development.

Durability had been the company’s biggest concern since it began developing the “noair” tyre in 2006. Its proprietary design features crisscrossing spokes, inspired by folding chairs, to absorb shock from the road the same way that air does in a conventional tyre.

After multiple rounds of improvements, the spokes are now 10 times as durable as they originally were. The tyres’ breaking strength has increased by 40% or so. Their performance is now comparable to conventional tyres.

A trial production run began in 2021 as Toyo Tire prepared for eventual mass production.

But current Japanese safety standards are based on conventional tyres and do not allow airless tyres on public roads. Toyo aims to initially sell the tyres for carts for use on private property, such as golf courses and amusement parks.

Toyo has not said when it plans to put the new tyres on the market. High production costs remain an issue being addressed through productivity-boosting measures, such as automation.

As the transportation sector transforms through such developments as broader adoption of electric vehicles and self-driving technology, “demand for tyres will change as well,” a company representative said. “We’ll seek more applications for airless tyres while moving quickly toward commercialisation,” the representative said.