As the world’s tire business looks for ways to shed its use of oil, Michelin says it will have a new tire within two years, the construction of which will be largely made up of wood. Wood will become the major ingredient for a sustainable future, predicts Britain’s Motoring magazine, which reported that in addition to wood as a tire ingredient, Michelin foresees a future in which 3-D printing of rubber will allow a vehicle to run just one set of tires over its lifetime. “It’s not a dream. We should have the first industry machine in 2020. And then the industry will ramp up from there,” said Cyrille Roget, director of scientific and innovation communications for Michelin.
Tires use oil-based components, but Michelin thinks those can be derived from wood.
PHOTO: MICHELIN
