Michelin launching AI-powered wear prediction technology in tires

Clermont-Ferrand, France - Michelin and California-based supplier of vehicle intelligence and software systems have developed an AI-based technology for predictive tire health.

To be showcased during the CES 2026 in Las Vegas later this month, the technology taps Michelin’s SmartLoad and SmartWear technologies, deployed via Sonatus ‘AI Director’, to deliver “real-time insights into tire performance directly within the vehicle.”

According to the partners, traditional tire monitoring systems often rely on pressure sensors or mileage-based estimates, which do not capture inputs like braking intensity, vehicle load, cornering forces and other dynamic conditions.

SmartLoad and SmartWear models analyse these high-frequency vehicle signals to provide “continuous, accurate insights into the actual health of a vehicle’s tires,” said a company statement 19 Dec 2025.

Such data, it said, enables fleets and drivers to optimise tire usage, improve safety, and reduce operational costs.

Michelin’s expertise in tire physics, modelling and data, combined with Sonatus’s “advanced in-vehicle AI orchestration,” said the tire maker, enable the use of ‘tire digital twin’ for predictive maintenance.

Sonatus Collector AI enables Michelin to calibrate its algorithms for new automakers, while Sonatus AI Director provides “secure, containerised deployment” across diverse electronic control units (ECU).

The ‘in-vehicle’ deployment of the technology will reduce reliance on the cloud and protect sensitive data, Michelin noted.

According to Michelin, software-based tire monitoring has the potential to replace legacy sensor hardware and associated costs, effectively virtualising the sensors and reducing the bill of materials (BOM).

Citing an analysis by Frost & Sullivan, the virtualised process could contribute to cost savings of $1.68 billion by 2030.

“Michelin SmartWear and SmartLoad are the first building blocks of a full portfolio that will enable the OEMs to have tire digital twin in their vehicles,” said VP Michelin Tire Digital Twin, Ali Rezgui.

At CES 2026, Michelin’s predictive tire intelligence will be demonstrated on a 1970 Ford Bronco retrofitted with Sonatus technology.