Airless tires, or non-pneumatic tires as they’re known in the industry, have been around for several years now. In fact, Michelin first showed off its ‘Tweel’ airless tire back in 2005 and Bridgestone rolled out (excuse the pun) its own version of the technology just over a year ago.

However, none of these have been offered up for general sale.

That’s all about to change as Polaris, a company that specializes in off-road vehicles, including those supplied to the military, plans to start selling its Non-Pneumatic Tire from 2014 onwards.

The tire was actually developed by Resilient Technologies, a startup based in Wisconsin that was acquired by Polaris last year.

The unique mesh structure that forms the center of the tire helps carry the load of the vehicle. At the same time, this structure remains flexible enough to soak up any bumps in the terrain. And since there’s no air, drivers needn’t worry about punctures.

An outer tread composed of rubber means the tire can be developed to suit various purposes, which range from off-road driving to economy and even performance applications. Additional benefits are said to include less waste (only the out tread needs to be replaced), a more comfortable ride and less noise.

Polaris’ initial Non-Pneumatic Tire has been developed for all-terrain vehicles but the company is looking at other applications. Pricing for the all-terrain version will be announced closer to next year’s launch.

To watch a video of Polaris’ Non-Pneumatic Tire in action, follow this link to Fox News.