Although the new X Tweel Utility Terrain Vehicle airless radial tire and wheel assembly will be offered initially to military customers, they tell me it will be offered for commercial sales by next year.
The X Tweel is a single unit, replacing current tire/wheel/valve assemblies. It performs like a pnuematic tire, except that it doesn’t go flat like a traditional tire. The secret is in the poly-resin spokes which carry the load as well as absorb impacts and reducing bounce. Yet, they aren’t so rigid that they won’t collapse enough to allow the tread to fully grip the surface below the tire.
