July 3, 2019—The 2020 Ford Explorer will offer tires that patch their own holes, according to a report from The Detroit Free Press. Michelin makes the Ford tires and also supplies them to the Chevrolet Bolt.
The tires will be standard on the 2020 Explorer Limited hybrid and Platinum models and optional on the Explorer Limited.
The tires allow them to keep traveling after a puncture, in some cases continuing for days without a repair.
Self-sealing tires have been around for years and have been designed to handle the most common tire puncture—a small object penetrating the tire in the tread area.
The inside of the tires is coated with viscous goop that flows into punctures to seal them. It must flow into punctures, but it can’t pool at the bottom of the tire when it’s parked. The material also must form an airtight seal, and flow at temperatures from scorching desert blacktop to a frigid winter night.
