Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed
Follow Gizmag on Twitter
Tires
NASA and Goodyear develop puncture proof tire for the 21st Century
By Paul Ridden
02:31 August 16, 2009 PDT
It looks like seventies science fiction television is (finally) going to meet reality with NASA planning to set up a real Moonbase Alpha by 2020. In order to meet the heavy load/long range transport requirements of life on the moon, NASA recently teamed up with Goodyear to review and redesign some 40-year-old technology in the shape of the airless tires first seen on the Lunar Rover Vehicles of Apollo missions. Read More
Amphibious hybrid concept car - street machine to mean marine
By Jeff Salton
18:45 August 3, 2009 PDT
Despite the fact that very few make it off the drawing board to prototype stage, ‘go anywhere’ concept cars are an ever popular subject for budding auto designers and car lovers alike. And why not - they allow us to forget about the pesky practicalities of design and tiresome economics and imagine what could be. The latest to cross our desk - the Amphibious Hybrid concept vehicle - is a case of Bond meets the Transformers with its automatically adjusting tire design that morphs to ensure maximum grip on any given terrain including ice and water, where it becomes a kind of three wheel paddle boat. Read More
Zero releases dual purpose electric motorcyle
By Jeff Salton
01:09 July 30, 2009 PDT
Electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero has followed up the success of its X and S ranges with the Zero DS – a combination dirt/street machine the company says can “handle any surface you can throw at it.” This new option for those looking to ditch their noise-polluting, emission-spewing internal combustion bikes looks very similar to the S model, but has a bigger front wheel (17 inch), chunkier tread on the back tire and a nobby on the front, specially-designed wheels and suspension and a distinctive naked round headlamp without the windshield found on the S. Read More
Cheaper, more fuel-efficient tires? Wooden it be good
By Darren Quick
01:28 July 24, 2009 PDT
Making tires from wood might seem like an idea that would be more at home on the Flintstones than in the early 21st Century, but that’s just what a team of wood science researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) are proposing. They aren’t suggesting constructing the tires solely from wood, but replacing silica with microcrystalline cellulose derived from plant fiber as a reinforcing filler in the manufacture of rubber tires. The result could be a tire that would cost less, perform better and save on fuel and energy. Read More
STRIDA folding bike picks up speed and grows taller
20:39 June 25, 2009 PDT
One of our favorite folding bicycle designs, the unique triangular-framed STRIDA, is now available in a new model. Geared for additional speed and comfort, the limited edition STRIDA 5.0 SX has thinner, larger wheels and extended handlebars for taller riders... and it can still fold down in five seconds flat. Read More
Hankook's enfren low rolling-resistance tires deliver 5 percent fuel saving
By Karen Sprey
01:52 June 9, 2009 PDT
Hankook says its new range of low rolling-resistance tires could delivering significant fuel savings and environmental benefits without consumers having to upgrade their car. The silica compound enfren tire achieved a 5.1% saving over conventional steel belt radials in a recent Fuel Economy Challenge using two identical Hyundai i30 SLX CRDi hatches. Read More
New technology could lead to 50% increase in tire recycling
By Karen Sprey
17:15 May 10, 2009 PDT
A new method of recycling old tires to produce high-quality rubber powders for making new rubber products is being developed in Australia. Its developers say it is energy-efficient, economically viable and environmentally responsible, and they hope it will result in 50 per cent more tires being recycled. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
