Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
web
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • ITEC
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • Silicone
    • Latex
    • Coronavirus
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Technical Notebooks
    • International Elastomer Show
    • Women in Tire & Rubber
    • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Goodyear recognized by Lockheed Martin as 'elite supplier'
      EV tire advancements to help secure future
      Lambillotte: Only question on AVs is timing
      CAR official says EV future brighter than autonomous
    • Smithers webinars focus on performance materials in green tires
      Ford to close 3 plants, end production in Brazil, costing $4.1 billion
      Study: Vehicle buyers cling to familiarity amid pandemic
      Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
    • Smithers webinars focus on performance materials in green tires
      Ferentino Tyre opens Sri Lanka plant; eyes exports to U.S., Europe
      Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
    • JobsOhio funding gives Sperry & Rice room to grow
      TRAC's Glenn Maidment caps 51-year rubber industry career
      LafargeHolcim looks to solidify U.S. presence with Firestone Building Products purchase
      Hankook Tire holding company adopts Hankook & Co. identity
    • Smithers webinars focus on performance materials in green tires
      Endurica earns prestigious Tibbetts Award from SBA
      Kuraray to raise elastomer prices again
      Synthomer optimistic, raises earnings forecast
    • Safic-Alcan extends distribution agreement with Momentive
      Momentive aims to grow silicone presence in Asia-Pacific region
      IRP Medical solidifies portfolio with KDL deal
      Rubber lab services firm Ace reports record year
    • ASTM cancels April meetings as COVID-19 continues impact
      Paycheck Protection Program funding reopens Jan. 15
      Detroit Auto Show canceled; alternative event being planned for September
      Top Glove reopens COVID-hit factories with enhanced precautions
    • Jack Murphy joins Akron Dispersions
      Adriano Alfani named Versalis CEO
      Maroon Group adds to Southeast sales team
      ASTM taps rubber executive as new board member
    • Paycheck Protection Program funding reopens Jan. 15
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Lobbying group unveils policy agenda to speed transition to EVs
      NADA, bank group to assess political contributions after U.S. Capitol siege
    • Column: Pandemic looms over everything in life, business in 2020
      Column: Lessons from the 2020 Best Places to Work
      Editorial: Silicone hit hard by pandemic, expected to bounce back
      Column: Still far way from normal
    • Effects of multiple repurposed materials for reinforcements of standard rubber compounds
      Impact of peroxide blends on the cure rate and aged properties in HNBR
      Techniques to detect long chain branching in polymers
      A comparative study looking at effects of curing kinetics and batch variation on SBR injection molding and numerical analytics
    • WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      IEC keynote: Communication key to logistics
      IEC speaker: Specialized elastomers may reduce spread of life-threatening pathogens
      Rubber Division seeking abstracts for Spring Technical Meeting
    • WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      New video celebrates women in rubber industry
      ITEC panelists say women can thrive in tire industry
      Rubber Division planning second Women of Rubber event
    • Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Faster Access to Your Polymer Compounding Experts Around the World
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Take a walk thru a HEXPOL Lab
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      HEXPOL offers a unique selection of High Performance Elastomers to match your application requirements
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      It’s what you can’t see that makes the Difference at HEXPOL
  • Blogs
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
    • New Products: MonTech introduces 1,500 kN lab press
      New products: 3M introduces new durable, pliable medical adhesive
      New Products: Lanxess launches energy-efficient PU elastomer
      New Products: MonTech automates bale cutter for safety, productivity
    • Wacky World of Rubber: How Trelleborg, teens sealed a spot in the world record book
      Wacky World of Rubber: Of chicken and feet, but not chicken feet
      Wacky World of Rubber: Time to go mattress shopping
      Wacky World of Rubber: Because nothing says football like 'frunk' shrimp
  • Newsletters
    • Rubber in Automotive
    • Silicone News
    • Latex News
    • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Smithers webinars focus on performance materials in green tires
      Ford to close 3 plants, end production in Brazil, costing $4.1 billion
      Study: Vehicle buyers cling to familiarity amid pandemic
      Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
    • Safic-Alcan extends distribution agreement with Momentive
      Momentive aims to grow silicone presence in Asia-Pacific region
      IRP Medical solidifies portfolio with KDL deal
      Rubber lab services firm Ace reports record year
    • Jack Murphy joins Akron Dispersions
      Synthomer optimistic, raises earnings forecast
      Top Glove reopens COVID-hit factories with enhanced precautions
      Malaysia electronics group to enter rubber gloves sector
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Directory
  • Resources
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Sponsored By HB Chemical
      The Company Behind the Inventory
      Sponsored By French Oil Mill Machinery
      Process Improvement, Cost Reduction with Custom Press Systems
    • Sponsored By Uncountable Inc.
      Cooper Standard deploys lab informatics platform to synchronize R&D
      Sponsored By Elkem
      LSR Selectâ„¢: A solution to improve your financial impact in molding applications
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Peroxide Cureable Silicone Injection Molding
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Understanding and Selecting Performance Additives for Rubber Compounding
  • Data
  • Events
    • RPN Events
    • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • ITEC Library
    • International Silicone Conference Library
    • 2021 Healthcare Elastomers Virtual Edition
      2021 Rubber in Automotive Virtual Edition
      2020 International Silicone Conference Virtual Edition
      2020 ITEC Virtual Edition
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
October 12, 2012 02:00 AM

End of the spare tire? Don't hold your breath

Bruce Meyer
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    CLEVELAND (Oct. 12, 2012)—Most car companies would love to eliminate the spare tire and save the precious weight and space it takes up, but don't look for it to happen in the near future.

    That's because customers around the world largely don't want the safety blanket of a spare taken away and auto makers, above most everything else, want to please their customers, according to David Rohweder, Ford Motor Co. global chief engineer for tire and wheel engineering.

    In fact, it probably will take convincing the next generation of drivers they don't need a spare tire, he said. That's because the majority of the current driving population is stuck in its belief that spares still are the best way to deal with a flat tire while driving, Rohweder said in his Sept. 20 keynote address at the International Tire Exhibition & Conference in Cleveland.

    And the long-term future also will need to include new solutions not currently available that can ease the concerns of motorists, because no present alternatives satisfy extended mobility needs in all markets around the globe.

    Differing priorities

    One reason that the spare tire won't disappear any time soon is that the priorities of car customers and auto makers aren't always in alignment.

    Rohweder said drivers want greater personal convenience; personal safety; independence; ability to get to a service center to continue their trip; and no tradeoffs.

    While these expectations are fairly universal, he said they can mean different things in different countries.

    For example, when talking about personal safety, North American drivers may get a flat, pull over to the side of the road, change it and move on. They may be off a highway in a less safe situation or in a neighborhood they're not comfortable with.

    “In places like Brazil, that's not necessarily the case,” Rohweder said. “You're actually worried about being kidnapped and held hostage for ransom. This whole concept of personal safety takes on a whole other meaning.”

    So Ford is hampered when looking at building global platforms, where one vehicle design is sold in all markets around the world. “I can't have a really cool, high-tech solution that works in one market and package myself out of what I need in another market,” he said.

    There still are a number of markets where customers expect to get a fifth full-size tire in the trunk, and not a mini spare or some other option, he said. “Probably the most important thing we see is that customers don't want to have a flat. They don't want to be inconvenienced. They accept it to some extent, but they don't really.”

    Conversely, the car companies have their own set of priorities. Rohweder said that list includes reduced cost; lower weight; lower rolling resistance; improved driving attributes; ability to focus on global platforms; and regulatory compliance.

    The new CAFE standards that will take effect in coming years mean that car companies will do everything they can to reduce weight and lower rolling resistance, which also impacts European laws on carbon dioxide emissions, he said.

    And regulatory compliance can differ from nation to nation. “Every government has its own vision over what kind of regulations it thinks are important,” Rohweder said.

    In the end, though, Ford will strive for greater customer satisfaction. “All the things on that first list of customer needs I do care about even though they don't show up at the top of my list,” he said. “And we will take drastic actions to try to improve customer satisfaction.”

    Current technologies

    Flat tires remain an issue, accounting for 27 percent of the times drivers stop while on the road, according to data Roh¼weder presented. Nearly half of those polled in a survey said someone in their household had a flat tire in the past year, and 80 percent personally had a flat in the last 10 years.

    Of those, 60 percent said the flat tire was a minor inconvenience, 30 percent said it was major and 10 percent felt a risk to their safety—figures he said shifted depending on which country the driver was from.

    While some argue that cell phones make spares unnecessary, Rohweder said that would mean we've reached universal cell phone coverage and have automotive service providers available 24 hours a day. “There are still a lot of places that don't have cell phone coverage, so we would strand customers,” he said.

    The temporary spare remains the most prevalent technology in use. He reminded the audience there initially was a pushback on the mini spare and there are still customers in North America who don't accept them. Pickup trucks generally have full-size spares, though sometimes they are dissimilar from the OE set because of lack of tire supply.

    There are some foldable, full-size spares coming out of Europe that save space but require customers to go through the process of inflating it. “On the convenience scale, this doesn't rank very high.”

    He doesn't think any car makers currently are using sealant kits with chemical inflator systems as OE options instead of the spare. The best of these would be a fully automated kit, but most in North America today are semi-automatic that require drivers to perform a number of steps to make it usable.

    Runflats—both of the self-supporting and insert variety—have some place in the market but haven't proven to be an answer for the masses. Rohweder said self-sealing tires are beginning to make a bit of a comeback and may help bridge the gap to get customers to realize they don't need a spare.

    Non-pneumatic tires, such as Michelin's Tweel and other similar concepts, detract from the car's styling and he doesn't see these as being viable in the near future.

    Long-term trends

    Looking ahead 20 to 40 years, Rohweder said the face of global transportation will be much different. If world population doubles by 2067, this will lead to huge urban centers where not everyone will be driving cars. And those that do have cars may drive a hybrid type of vehicle, and such owners today are more accepting of having temporary mobility kits in lieu of spares.

    Not one solution currently available satisfies the customer and leads to the next century of needs and what is expected to be provided in terms of extended mobility, the Ford executive said.

    “So there are opportunities to find something new,” he said. “The tires and vehicles of the future will not look like what you see today. My crystal ball isn't good enough to tell you what they will look like, but I'm expecting significant differences in vehicle architecture.”

    The ultimate solution will provide a seamless extension of mobility, where the driver can continue on with only a minor inconvenience, Rohweder said. Until then, he foresees improvements in existing mini spare, runflat and sealant technologies.

    And the only way to ever truly get rid of the spare will be to convince the next generation that is just starting to learn about cars.

    “I always tell people I need to convince my children we don't need spare tires because I figure my generation is stuck,” he said. “We're pretty much not going to change.”

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber & Plastics News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber & Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber & Plastics News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    web
    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Contact the Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • ITEC
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • Silicone
      • Latex
      • Coronavirus
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Technical Notebooks
      • International Elastomer Show
      • Women in Tire & Rubber
      • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Blogs
      • Products
      • Wacky World of Rubber
    • Newsletters
      • Rubber in Automotive
      • Silicone News
      • Latex News
      • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Photo Galleries
    • Directory
    • Resources
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Data
    • Events
      • RPN Events
      • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • ITEC Library
      • International Silicone Conference Library
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION