Air-Filled Tires Are Overflowing with Issues

Pneumatic (air-filled) rubber tires are an invention that has barely changed in 100+ years.  Problems include:

• Constant maintenance and monitoring
• Over 200 million flat tires per year in the US
• Billions of gallons of fuel are wasted due to underinflation
• Contribute to 27% of all roadside emergencies
• Responsible for 50 billion pounds of waste, annually 

Sources: Historic UK, Undiscovered Scotland

Practically all modes of transportation from trucks to bikes, airplanes and space applications can benefit from high-performance airless tires that never go flat, save on gas, and can handle the most extreme environments on and off of Earth.

We believe that SMART Tires are the first of their kind: made from shape memory alloys, they are both airless AND high performing. Their special superelastic properties are unlike anything else on earth. This allows them to bend and flex like a rubber tire - but with the strength and performance of a titanium alloy, and always retaining their original shape. Not only that, but they never go flat and require almost no maintenance, are lightweight, and use significantly less rubber than a traditional tire. 

What makes these tires so special? It's the combination of structural design with the unique properties of SMA. This amazing material actually rearranges its molecular structure in response to stress. The "superelastic" effect is fundamentally superior to conventional materials, delivering one of the highest energy returns of any structure on Earth.  

SMART Tire’s lead engineer originally led the invention of spring tires at Goodyear, receiving an R&D 100 Award (“the Oscars of innovation”). SMART Tires are the 3rd generation offspring of this invention, incorporating over a decade of space program research with new, patented terrestrial designs and commercial integrations.

*Images are in the prototype phase. Product is still currently under development and not available on the market

We believe SMART Tires are perfect for the next generation of electric vehicles, where load-carrying ability, fuel efficiency, consistent performance and long life are paramount. According to our research, the trucking industry can benefit by eliminating costly tire maintenance, better fuel efficiency, and eliminating the need for redundant tires. The future 18-wheeler may benefit greatly from running instead on 10 advanced SMART Tires.

The SMART Tire Company makes money through several key terrestrial sources:

• Consumer products (METL bicycle tire): we have a waiting list of 3,500+ customers for our high-performance METL™ bicycle tire, with its innovative “Nike Air” style see-through design.

• Fleet sales: We are working with “Spin” scooters (backed by Ford Mobility) to bring these tires to their rideshare fleet. The shared electric scooter market represents hundreds of thousands to millions of units worldwide.

• B2B/OEM: We currently have strong interest from both the cycling and automotive industries in OEM opportunities for their vehicles.

  
  

• Licensing: Our patent-pending inventions include critical advancements required to produce high-performing SMA tires on earth. In certain markets, we may choose to license portions of the technology rather than produce it ourselves.

How much does it cost?

Our estimated price for the METL™ bicycle tire is $100-$150 at launch, or competitively priced as an integrated high-end wheelset. Similarly, we project automotive and trucking applications to be priced in the “sport” or premium “performance” categories.

One key goal of The SMART Tire Company is to reduce the material costs of our structural SMA applications by 50% or more over the next 3 years through collaboration with our supply chain partners, and optimizations to our designs. Within 5 years we believe there will be an industry shift to more economical shape memory alloys with similar properties. Similar to the “Tesla model”, we will sell high-end, high-performance products with decreasing price points over time.

Entering Growing Market of $250 Billion

The overall global tire market is a $250 billion market with a CAGR of 3.2%, and two wheel market (target for the METL™ tire) is $20 billion with a CAGR of 8%. Micro-mobility is the fastest-growing segment of the tire market, with more than 50% of all bicycle dollars spent on higher-end specialty bike stores, and urban mobility on the rise.

The EV market is expected to grow by over 4.5 times in the next 7 years with a CAGR of 24%. These vehicles are heavier and expected to go longer distances between maintenance, and are our target for a future automotive product.

In fact, the tire and EV markets are similar in size today, at about $250 billion. In the same way Tesla has changed transportation for the better by improving upon the combustion engine, we use first principles thinking and advanced technology to address another key component of every vehicle: the tire.

Our first customers are early adopters and technophiles, who prefer sustainable solutions made in the USA. They are cycling enthusiasts, commuters, and own electric scooters. Our corporate partners include private space companies, micro-mobility providers, and automotive manufacturers.

Private Space Exploration

Based on technology originally invented by NASA for future missions to Mars, we believe Smart Tire Company (STC) is uniquely positioned to provide commercial shape memory alloy solutions to private space companies, a lucrative emerging market.

We are currently collaborating with multiple large aerospace companies preparing bids for Project Artemis, NASA’s return to the south pole of the moon. The overall NASA budget for Artemis is $6.88 billion, and the original LRV (Lunar Rover Vehicle) cost $38,000,000 to develop in 1963 ($345,164,183 in 2021 adjusted for inflation). SMART Tire hopes to participate in this future LTV contract through a winning bid, as well as other Mars and moon missions.

Driving into a Smarter Future, Made in the USA

From Akron, Ohio to Los Angeles, California, SMART Tires are made in the USA. Based on foundational technology originally developed at NASA Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, Ohio), our tires are produced in a 5,000 square foot facility in Akron, Ohio, where the American tire industry was born.

All of our competitors (Michelin/ France, Bridgestone/ Japan, Continental/ Germany, Goodyear/ USA), are long-established rubber companies competing with largely similar, pneumatic rubber tire products. We believe STC establishes a new category of structural, airless tires not available from the industry today.

Our All-American partners include NASA (as part of a Space Act Agreement for further collaborative research), top aerospace companies, Spin Labs, Felt Bicycles, The University of Akron, and The University of Minnesota. Our shape memory alloy materials are also produced exclusively in the USA.

We plan to release the METL tire in 2022/2023, to put the power of SMA tires directly in the hands of consumers. 

By 2025, we hope to see SMART tires make their first trip to the moon, as part of NASA’s project Artemis. Currently we are engaged with major aerospace partners, to help them compete for NASA’s upcoming RFP.

Over the next two years, we plan to demonstrate our tires on a concept vehicle from a top-three major automaker, as well as develop our first trucking prototypes for heavy loads.

*Images are in the prototype phase. Product is still currently under development and not available on the market

In 2026, a rover co-developed by NASA and the ESA (European Space Agency) will launch for Mars on a sample return mission, equipped with SMA tires. This mission plans to utilize the same foundational technology being commercially developed at The SMART Tire Company. 

By 2030, we envision SMA tires as the tire of choice for electric & autonomous vehicles, and entering the aviation industry, where the elimination of extremely heavy landing gear systems may be the biggest win of all.

Our bright future is backed by some other big wins…

• 2-year Space Act Agreement with NASA, to further develop the METL™ bike tire
• R&D partnerships with Spin (Ford Mobility) and Felt Bicycles
• $1.29 million in previous crowdfunding from 1,750+ investors
• Lunar tire supplier for aerospace companies (pre-RFP phase)
• Major automaker research vehicle collaboration
• 3,500+ waiting list for METL tires
  

We believe we are building the next great American tire company: a safer, greener, more advanced tire based on NASA technology. Together we can create a smarter, safer future for transportation, and bring back the US as the world leader in tires!

Source: Spin, Felt

“With a technology entrusted by NASA for future Mars exploration, we are very excited for the opportunity to use it right here on Earth, right now. One of humankind’s greatest inventions, reimagined.” 

— Earl Cole, CEO, The SMART Tire Company

*Images are in the prototype phase. Product is still currently under development and not available on the market

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