Tire Makers Partner to Develop “Holy Grail” Urethane Car Tire

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has signed an exclusive agreement with Amerityre Corporation to jointly develop urethane tires with the ultimate objective of replacing rubber car tires.
“The urethane tire has been the Holy Grail of the tire industry for decades, so we are approaching this project with a good deal of prudence,” said Joe Gingo, Goodyear’s senior vice president for technology and global products planning. “Amerityre has developed what early tests show may be a viable compound for production of these tires,” Gingo said. “Manufacturing a urethane tire could potentially offer significant product advantages and tremendously efficient and cost-effective manufacturing processes requiring less capital investment than for traditional rubber tires. That’s why Goodyear is interested in continuing to pursue this technology.”
“We chose to work with Goodyear over other tire companies because of the company’s proven record of developing innovative products and processes,” said Richard Steinke, CEO of Amerityre, based in Boulder City, Nev.
Tiremakers did extensive work on urethane tires from the 1950s to 1970s. Goodyear even made red colored urethane tires with lights inside. None measured up to conventional rubber tires for wet or dry traction or for cut resistance, and the product was never commercialized.
Amerityre, while continuing to develop its material for auto tires, sells flat-free urethane foam bicycle tires called airriders. It has also developed flat-free tires for garden tractors and wheelbarrows.