What is the downside of airless tires?

The downside of airless tires, also called non-pneumatic tires, includes several limitations that have prevented widespread adoption for passenger cars despite benefits of never going flat. Main downsides include ride comfort, as airless tires tend to have stiffer ride and more vibration and noise than pneumatic tires because they lack air cushioning that absorbs bumps, leading to harsher ride and more road noise. Cost is another downside, as airless tires are currently more expensive to manufacture than traditional tires due to complex spoke or lattice structure. Weight can be higher, increasing unsprung weight and affecting fuel economy and handling. Heat buildup is a concern at high speeds because flexible spokes generate heat that can degrade material over time, limiting high-speed durability. Limited size and load range, as current airless tires are designed for specific vehicles and may not handle heavy loads or high speeds like highway driving. Performance in snow and mud can be worse because open spoke design can clog with debris. Aesthetics and repairability, as damaged spokes may require full replacement rather than simple repair, and open design looks unusual. For passenger cars, they have not yet passed all DOT high-speed endurance tests for highway use. So downsides include harsher ride, higher cost, noise, heat, and limited high-speed approval.