Allow me to parse:
Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
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When I contacted the tire maker,who manufactured the concept tire,and asked if it would be going into production,and would be available in the aftermarket,they thanked me for my interest and explained that the tire design belonged to the carmaker,and they would have the answers I seeked.------------------------ Upon writing to the carmaker,complementing them on their accomplishment,and what a benefit such a technology would be to so many aspects of the American economy and environment,I inquired as to whether they would consider a licensing agreement to allow tire makers to manufacture the LRR tires.The tires offered a 17% improvement in MPG.........
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I think you missed interpreted what both the tire manufacturer and the vehicle manufacturer were trying to tell you - and it appears you missed what I was trying to tell you as well.
Tire manufacturers do not set the specs, but they are the ones with the technology - and the vehicle manufacturers are the ones who set the specs, but they do not possess the technology.
So the vehicle manufacturer COULDN'T license the technology back to the tire manufacturers - they didn't have it.
I remember when that concept car came out. All us tire engineers said "B***S**T!!! They did something that was not going to work in production.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
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Would you hold out any hope that we might see the commercial exploitation of such tire technology within our lifetimes? It seems like the time is right for such things,more so than at any other time. Please comment if you can.Thanks!
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No. As the phrase goes - This is not Rocket Science. The tire manufacturers know how to decrease the RR by half - but the compromises needed to make that happen are not acceptable to the buying public.
All you have to do to confirm this is go to Tire Rack and look at all the complaints about wear and traction on OE tires. Gauging from the volume of complaints, the vehicle manufacturers apparently have pushed the envelope too far.