No Spare Tyre In Car, You Might Soon Get Tyre Pressure Monitoring System Instead

Electric vehicles are often associated with range anxiety, the foremost reason for potential buyers to not opt for them. The limited range of such EVs is due to a limited size battery to power the vehicle. The battery size is in turn based on the space available within the vehicle.

So what if car makers are able to increase this available space and add more batteries to power the vehicles. In a move which can advance to this, car makers can now do away with the mandatory spare tyre in a car, leaving more space in the trunk of the car.

As per the new amendments in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules issued by the government, OEMs are not required to offer a spare tyre in their cars if it is equipped with tubeless tyres, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and has a tyre repair kit.

What is TPMS?

(Representative Image: Reuters)

A TPMS monitors the inflation pressure in the tyres of a vehicle while it is running. The system then transmits the information to the driver through an indication on the instrument panel on the dashboard. It can even warn the driver in case there is a sudden reduction in pressure, i.e. a puncture.

At present, only a few high end SUVs in India offer TPMS.

TPMS is useful for the vehicle in two ways. One - it ensures an optimum tyre pressure at all times and hence improves fuel efficiency. Second - it can warn of any punctures/ air leaks in the tyres, thus avoiding mishaps on the road.

With the new guidelines, the road transport ministry has notified the standards that the TPMS installed in vehicles will have to comply with, starting October 1. The specifications indicate that the system shall operate from a speed of 40 kmph or below up to the vehicle's maximum design speed.

Tyre Puncture Repair Kit

(Representative Image: Reuters)

An inflator kit or a repair kit for tyre punctures can be used to fix any puncture in minimum time using sealants. Such a kit removes the need of replacing the punctured tyre with the spare one. Hence, the guidelines tend to ensure one in place of the other.

¡°These are progressive changes in the motor vehicle rules to meet the current and future requirement. Complying with standards is mandatory for obtaining type approval for production of vehicles,¡± a transport ministry official is quoted as saying in a TOI report.

A boon for EVs

Toyota hybrid with lead acid batteries in the trunk designed by CalCars. (Image: Reuters)

With most of the major OEMs coming up with an SUV format for their battery electric vehicles, such a move will allow them to choose from both the configurations. Lest they chose to opt for more range, a simple replacement of a spare tyre with a longer flatbed battery will now allow them to do so.

In the image above, for instance, a Toyota hybrid can be seen with lead acid batteries in its trunk, a design by CalCars which was displayed at a show in San Francisco. Similar arrangements can easily be made to extend the range of any existing EV.