The yearly ritual of swapping out summer tires for studded winter tires can grow quite tiresome for those who reside in snowy Northern United States. Not only that, but studded winter tires can wreak havoc on the local roadways. But one company has developed a James Bond-esque solution to solve both problems.

Q Tires has developed a snow tire that actually uses retractable studs. By flipping a switch inside the vehicle, drivers can activate or retract the studs, depending on road conditions.

The system works by filling a secondary chamber within the tire, which in turn activates the studs. Releasing the pressure retracts the studs. The ability to retract the studs would mean that drivers could use the tires year round. In fact, many states have already amended their studded tire laws to accommodate the revolutionary design.

The system does deplete some of the tire’s air pressure, but company head Michael O’Brien says it would take about 30 uses to really deplete any kind of significant pressure.

According to The Detroit News, Q Tires isn’t affiliated with any of the large tire manufacturers and will begin real-world testing of its retractable-stud snow tire later this year.

Sources from http://www.leftlanenews.com