The new study from Smithers Rapra, titled The Future of Intelligent Tires to 2025, predicts a growth rate of 92.5% from 2017–2025 in the intelligent tire market. This growth will help intelligent tires ramp up to a level of nearly 15% of total global tires by 2025. The report shows growth will be significantly higher in market segments such as passenger cars and in OE tires, where they will first appear and have the most impact during the first part of the forecast period.
Commercialization of TPMS represents a step in the direction of tire intelligence, though it is only a sensing system that measures only pressure. To be intelligent, a tire needs to go beyond this in three ways: first, it must not only sense, it must also be able to respond or cause some other system in the vehicle to respond; second, it will cover not only pressure, but a potential range of other attributes like temperature, load, wear/tread depth, friction and pavement type; and third, the sensor location(s) will no longer be on the rim or valve stem, but in the tire, attached by the tire maker to the inner liner, or embedded in the tire itself.
The report outlines many determinants of growth factors that will promote or hinder the uptake of intelligent tires. A great deal of new technology and expenditure is already going into today’s new cars, and intelligent tire pricing that exceeds the cost to equip a vehicle with direct TPMS might limit the technology to more expensive vehicle niches.
Similarly with now inexpensive TPMS systems widely available, motorists needing to replace conventional tires may choose to stick with them if intelligent options seem too expensive. A more positive factor is the complementary technologies of intelligent vehicles, intelligent transportation networks, connected cars and autonomous vehicles. This is where the true revolutionary impact of the intelligent tire might be felt and, if all goes well, these technologies will evolve symbiotically over the coming decades.
The full report is available for purchasing here.
February 10, 2016
