Items tagged with tires
It's a pretty big deal that Ford is mass producing carbon fiber wheels for its Shelby GT350R Mustang. How so? For one, never before has a major automobile manufacturer offered carbon fiber wheels as standard equipment -- you'd have to enter the supercar scene, where only Koenigsegg has offered optional carbon fiber wheels. And secondly, there's actual rocket science involved. We're not making that up. Ford provided some details on its carbon fiber wheels, which involves using a plasma arc gun to liquefy a ceramic material. This is then sprayed on the front wheels. Critical points around the inner wheel barrel and on the back spokes are coated to provide thermal protection from brake...
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Goodyear isn't necessarily reinventing the wheel, but it is attempting to improve upon tire design for a new generation of electric vehicles. The company showed off two concept tires at the 85th Geneva International Motor Show, one of which could charge the batteries of electric cars, both while in motion and when parked. The charging tire is codenamed "BHO3" and it incorporates a number of clever technologies designed to generate electricity. Part of that entails a heat absorbing tread that consists of an ultra black texture. Underneath the tread is a thermo-piezoelectric material that transforms captured heat into electricity. What's ingenious about the design is that the tires...
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