In the long-running TV series ‘The Simpsons’, a fire at the local Springfield tyre plant has been running for as long as the show has. While people have a good chuckle over this, extreme pollution follows the international tyre industry from rubber plantations to tyre manufacture, to usage, to disposal.

Indeed, in Kuwait is a tyre graveyard holds an estimated 20 to 40 million tyres. When a fire broke out there last year, according to Gulf News, around one million tyres burnt, spewing toxic fumes from a fire that could be seen from space.

While companies such as Tesla have tried to create solutions with new types of tyres, none have succeeded so far.

However, an Arizona-based start-up has completely reinvented the wheel except for keeping its round shape. Global Air Cylinder Wheels (GACW) has created a type that instead of rubber, uses steel.

The Air Suspension Wheel (ASW) invented by structural dynamic engineer Dr Zoltan Kemeny, is a mechanical wheel constructed mostly of steel with in-wheel pneumatic suspension through cylinders. GACW claims that it is both environmentally friendly as well as cost-efficient. The ASW is engineered to have the same lifespan as the vehicle it is mounted on. After that, unlike rubber tires, it can be reconditioned or can be completely recycled.

According to its website, GACW is currently focused on the $30 billion per year off-the-road (OTR) mining market. In this industry, rubber OTR mining tyres can weigh around 13,000 lbs and cost up to $75,000 for a useful lifetime of only six to nine months. GACW says that its ASW tyre can save up to 60 percent in costs.

Another key feature of the ASW is the greatly reduced rolling resistance. For vehicles using combustion engines, this will make them more efficient and with electric cars, the company believes that the driving range can be extended by up to 30 percent.

So far, GACW has raised $3 million and has four patents, with 13 others pending, in developing its tyre. It is also currently testing its ASW products with mining partners with an evaluation period of between 6 and 12 months. From 2022, it intends to ramp up its production of the ASW product with full commercialisation expected in 2023.

All photos: GACW