17:16 13-01-2026

General Motors patent reveals non-pneumatic wheels for city EVs

General Motors has filed a patent for airless wheels. The document, US 12.508.841 B2, was submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office on March 29, 2023, and published on December 30, 2025. The listed inventor is Michigan engineer William David Robinson III.

The patent outlines a non-pneumatic wheel design that dispenses with a sealed rim and an inflatable tire. Instead, inner and outer rings are linked by between three and eight support members shaped as rods or beams. This layout removes the reliance on air pressure and cuts wheel mass compared with conventional designs.

A notable element of the concept is the potential to integrate an electric motor and a braking mechanism directly into the wheel. The inner ring includes a central opening sized to accommodate part of the electric motor, which points to simpler, modular powertrain packaging.

The development targets urban electric vehicles, where compact packaging, lower weight, and avoiding complex tire maintenance matter most. For now it remains a patent filing, and GM is not sharing any timeline for possible adoption. On paper, the approach looks well suited to city EVs, bringing lighter hardware and a cleaner path to packaging components more efficiently.