The well-known tire company Goodyear Tire (NASDAQ: GT) unveiled a very interesting prototype at the Geneva Motor Show.

The concept behind this prototype — which is far from going into production — could radically change the way we view car tires and car travel in the future. This concept, named “BHO3” – offers the possibility of charging the batteries of electric cars by transforming the heat generated by the rolling tire into electrical energy. This means, that under certain conditions, the car’s tires could actually charge the batteries of the vehicle. While the whole technology is rather new, the concept sounds profoundly promising all together.

The role of the car tires has always been to provide the safety and performance by adding better traction. Tires also allow for a smoother ride and take the hard hits of variable driving conditions the cars may encounter. In a nutshell they are the contact surface that the car has with the road. On the other hand, the technology of the tires remained stagnant in a lot of ways. Now, with Goodyear releasing its concept tires, dedicated to charging electric vehicles, we might see a big shift of focus for this often neglected part of the automotive culture entirely.

“These concept tires re-imagine the role that tires may play in the future,” said Joe Zekoski, Goodyear’s senior vice president and Chief Technical Officer, in a statement. “We envision a future in which our products become more integrated with the vehicle and the consumer, more environmentally friendly and more versatile.”

These tires would generate electricity through the action of materials in the tires themselves, reacting to the driving surfaces it encounters. The energy is created by heat when it flexes as it rolls during normal driving conditions, creating energy that can be transformed from one state to another, providing electricity. The materials used would optimize the tire’s electricity generation capabilities as well as its rolling resistance.

While Goodyear hasn’t released that much information about this potential groundbreaking technology, it is easy to see how such a solution would benefit would be range anxious drivers and help their electric vehicles achieve better range as well. Take a look at the video we’ve added below to find out more about this revolutionary tire concept. We’re sure some high-profile car manufacturers will take a rather compelling interest in this technology as well.

Now the question is, can Goodyear make this 3D rendering a reality? Only time will tell.

The post Goodyear’s Concept Tires Could Charge Electric Vehicles In The Future appeared first on VR World.

Hyundai’s much awaited fuel cell car, the internationally known 2015 Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell or the North American Tuscon Fuel Cell. This car is Hyundai’s latest FCEV vehicle that is actually coming to market and will be available around the world fairly shortly as it is a 2015 model year vehicle, meaning we’ll see it on the road later this year. What’s such a big deal about Hyundai’s FCEV is that it is a fuel cell powered electric vehicle that can do hundreds of miles on a single ‘tank’. Instead of being powered by batteries and large battery packs, the ix35 Fuel Cell is basically powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology.

What’s more impressive is that Hyundai was able to get 700 km of range out of the vehicle, which translates to 435 miles per fill up. All you have to do with this car is find a hydrogen fueling station and then fill up your car, which takes up to 3 minutes, according to Hyundai. While the prices of hydrogen fuel varies greatly, it suffers from the same problem that fully electric battery-based vehicles have. There simply aren’t enough charging/refill stations to properly accommodate someone on a daily basis looking to refill/recharge based on where they are. However, with 435 miles of range, most people wouldn’t be looking to recharge their vehicles for at least a week unless they’re trying to drive cross-country.

2015 Hyundai ix35 / Tuscon Fuel Cell

These numbers that Hyundai is reporting in their press release of the vehicle, nearly double that of the stated range of the 2015 Hyundai Tuscon Fuel Cell which has a rated EPA estimated range of 235 miles. So, your mileage may vary (pun intended) but you will very likely still get somewhere around 27.8 Km per liter if converted to gasoline which translates to around 65 MPG. However, fuel capacity and tank sizes are measured in pounds and kilograms rather than in liquid volume due to the way the hydrogen is stored. The actual rating is that it only takes 9.5 grams of hydrogen for the ix35 Fuel Cell to drive 1 kilometer. Based upon this you get a rough estimated range of 593 kilometers or 368 miles, even though the US version does not have as much of a stated EPA range.

The post Hyundai's 2015 ix35 (Tuscon) Fuel Cell Goes 435 Miles appeared first on VR World.