Land Rover recently patented a central tyre inflation system which aims to make going go off-road easier, improve fuel economy and correct tyre pressure for gradual wear and tear over time.
Although similar technology already exists in military vehicles, what is unique about Land Rover’s patented system is its ability to inflate or deflate tyres to specific pressures depending on the selected driving mode (which can be automatically detected based on sensory data). Land Rover’s patent application for the central tyre inflation system has illustrations of 4 driving modes with associated tyre pressure levels, they are as follows:
1) on-road – most common setting for normal driving
2) economy – on this setting the tyres the tyres would fill with increased air pressure allowing for better fuel efficiency
3) off-road – at reduced speeds the tyres would deflate and once traction control finds the vehicle is stuck the tyres would inflate to the correct air pressure for the set off road condition.
4) recovery mode
The patented central inflation system would also be able to correct tyre pressure for general wear and tear over time which most consumers would find an added bonus.
Source: http://bit.ly/2qG6HN3
