Bridgestone’s Air-Free Tires Make Commercial Debut on Japanese Autonomous Shuttles

Bridgestone’s airless tire, AirFree, has made its commercial debut in Higashiōmi City, Japan, installed on autonomous shuttle minibuses serving local elderly residents. The tire replaces traditional pneumatic structures with thermoplastic resin spokes and features a thin rubber tread on the outer layer. Its spokes are arranged in a diagonal pattern and are fully recyclable. Each wheel can support approximately 300 kilograms—comparable in load capacity and lifespan to conventional tires. During early development, the team experimented with rigid materials to enhance load-bearing capability but found this compromised ride comfort and increased the risk of fracture. They later switched to flexible resin and optimized the structural design to distribute loads more evenly, achieving a balance between support and shock absorption. Because it requires no inflation, the AirFree tire eliminates risks of blowouts or air leaks and removes the need for tire pressure maintenance—making it well-suited for autonomous vehicles. Currently, the minibuses equipped with these tires are limited to a top speed of around 20 km/h, though the specific reason for this speed restriction has not been disclosed. Bridgestone is now evaluating a business model that bundles the AirFree tires with recycling services and plans to leverage this technology to develop tires suitable for lunar rovers.