Evolution of Tyres Over the Decades

Tyres have been through many changes over the years, and each change has been a vital part of their evolution process. New changes to them have consistently been made in parallel alongside the advancement of automobiles. Here is a detailed look at the evolution of tyres over the decades:

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1888 – THE BEGINNING

In the year 1888, the first car to run on gasoline was invented and it was fitted with metal tyres covered fully by rubberized shells, which were filled with air. The public found the concept of metal tyres revolutionary.

1905 – INTRODUCTION OF TREAD TYRES

A tyre's tread is the part that makes direct contact with the surface of the road. It is completely made out of very thick rubber and facilitates protection of the carcass & breaker present inside the tyre.

1920 – POPULARIZATION OF SYNTHETIC RUBBER TYRES

Henry Ford introduced the conveyor belt assembly line followed by it was DuPont's industrialization of synthesized rubber. This came to be known as a turning point for the tyre industry.

1923 – THE RISE OF BALLOON TYRES

The balloon tyre was a tyre that featured low pressure and was used in a variety of vehicles back then.

1940 – DEVELOPMENT OF TYRE STRUCTURE TO ENSURE FUEL SAVINGS

The mission to make tyres more fuel-efficient came to action when the fuel prices skyrocketed. Front-wheel drive was popularized in cars and the tubeless tyres found in 1903 significantly helped in reducing fuel usage.

1949 – RADIAL TYRES – A NEW ERA FOR TYRES

The radial tyre was invented in 1950. The tyres' cords were a bit slanted towards the direction where the car was being driven. These were fuel-efficient and offered extremely good driveability.

1970 – TYRES WERE MADE SAFER

Post the second world war, the automotive industry witnessed a growth spurt. The run-flat tyres developed in 1972 started being used. They could be used at high speeds (up to 80 km/h) without requiring a replacement.

1980 – RUN-FLAT TYRES AND UHP TYRES

These tyres were able to function at a constant speed even after getting scratched or brazed. Even when the pressure got low, these kept functioning.

Then came the Ultra-High-Performance tyres which featured a rim diameter of around 16-inches. These featured reinforced braking power, high-speed motion as well as cornering abilities.

2000 – ECO-TUNING TYRES

As the name suggests, these tyres were focused on environmental conservation. These facilitated fuel savings and therefore, protected the environment.

2012 – NON-PNEUMATIC TYRES

A decade ago, a company named Hankook invented a non-air tyre made up of new material. The manufacturing procedure of the non-pneumatic tyres reduces the manufacturing process by half. The best part? These can easily be recycled. These are designed for hybrid and hydrogen cars.

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