In 2018, Cape Town residents stared down "Day Zero," the moment when the water system – jeopardized by the combination of population growth, drought cycles, aging infrastructure and deferred system improvements – was predicted to literally run dry. Fortunately, citizens rallied by heeding the conservation calls, and the skies opened. A historic crisis was averted for its more than 3 million residents. But the lessons lingers on: Government and water industry leaders the world over are reconsidering how climate impacts and deferred maintenance threaten the resilience of our supply.

Water, water everywhere. And with the troubling prospect of more of it in coming years, concerns over climate change and its effects are deepening, from more frequent extreme events in the Midwest to rising sea levels affecting low-lying areas vulnerable to coastal flooding. Aging infrastructure still dominates the discussion, yet a pressing question lingers: How can water utilities and those entrusted to oversee them do more, sometimes with less, to mitigate against mega-storms already proven to outmatch legacy conveyance and storage strategies?

Michelin and General Motors have presented a new generation of airless wheel technology, the MICHELIN Uptis Prototype (or “Unique Puncture-proof Tire System”). GM intends to develop this airless wheel assembly with Michelin and aims to introduce it on passenger vehicles as early as 2024. Later this year, GM will initiate real-world testing and validation of the Uptis Prototype on a Michigan test fleet of Chevrolet Bolt EVs.