New car tyres that squeal when they feel flat

The next car you buy will automatically let you know when its tyres need inflating if new EU laws are passed.

Car tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) send a signal to the car’s dashboard if the pressure falls below the correct level.

Correctly inflated tyres last longer, provide better road handling and improve fuel efficiency by around 2 per cent. Whilst the saving in fuel costs each month for the average driver is modest, it is estimated that underinflated tyres lead to an additional 12 megatonnes of CO₂ emissions every year.

Cutting corners on tyre pressure sensors

In the face of lobbying by car makers, it seems likely that manufacturers will not be required to fit the type of system that is able to monitor tyre pressures directly and in real time. The cheaper ‘indirect’ systems take up to one hour to take a reading, which is not particularly useful to the average European driver whose average trip takes 20 minutes.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), which supports direct tyre monitoring systems being fitted as standard, said: “Tyre pressure monitoring devices are good for drivers and good for the planet, but it looks likely that a cost-cutting exercise will see car makers fitting an inferior system.”

Direct systems respond much more quickly than indirect systems, give more accurate readings, but at £22 per vehicle cost three times more than the indirect systems. However, over the life of the car they save on average £350 of fuel.

Self-inflating tyres for cars

Technology that does no more than monitor tyre pressures and alert the driver if it needs topping up may be redundant even before it is fitted to cars as standard.

American company MAXAIR has developed an Automatic Tyre Monitoring and Inflation (ATMI) system that continually checks tyre pressures and uses an on-board compressor to add air if needed. In the case of a slow puncture, the ATMI system can send a constant stream of air to the tyre. The company is in talks with car makers about putting it into production.

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