LEON-TYRE Project

The insights gained in these investigations will be used to optimize the design, prototyping and demonstration of a novel airless tire, which it is expected that will combine reduced noise, wear, and emissions with high safety, reliability, and comfort. Finally, LEON-T will make policy recommendations to mitigate against potential health hazards caused by tire particulate and noise emissions.

There is broad scientific consensus exposure to airborne particulates and/or nocturnal noise leads to adverse health effects. Particulate emissions and noise emissions generated by tire-read interaction are suspected to contribute to such exposure for those living near busy roads, but current data is inconclusive as to how such emissions depend on characteristics of road surface and driving style. Furthermore, tire wear particles disperse from their generation at the road surface through the environment: in soil, water bodies and biota. However, quantification is currently lacking.

What is lacking is a body of evidence gathered through reproducible, standardized measurement methods allowing the introduction of justifiable, broadly supported legislative measures to limit particulate and noise emissions from tires to reduce the risk they pose to public health and wellbeing. LEON-T addresses this hiatus.

LEON-T will furthermore use the knowledge gained to simulate, design, prototype, and test innovative HGV airless tires that combine the best safety and performance characteristics of current tires with the lowest noise emissions and wear.

Read more here. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 955387.