Benzinga | Jul 13, 2021 02:48PM EDT

Goodyear Develops Airless Tire For Autonomous Vehicle Transportation

* Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co (NASDAQ:GT) has developed a non-pneumatic (airless) tire (NPT) and wheel assembly to support autonomous vehicle transportation in a city setting for in-field use with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA).

* Goodyear and Local Motors have tested an Olli shuttle supported by the NPT for the past three years.

* Goodyear and Local Motors will gather experiential data from the JTA, looking for viewpoints on ride comfort, noise, and other variables.

* While the testing phase will reveal more about non-pneumatic tires, airless tires may offer sustainable, maintenance-free, and longer-lasting options.

* "This is an important milestone as we look to advance mobility today and as we look to introduce the first completely sustainable and maintenance-free tires by the end of the decade," said Michael Rachita, Goodyear's senior program manager, non-pneumatic tires.

* Price action: GT shares are trading lower by 2.67% at $16.57 on the last check Tuesday.