Airless Tires May Be The Future, But Can They Handle The Northland Climate?

There's a lot of buzz in the last week about a new tire from Michelin. They've designed an airless tire that can't be punctured or go flat. The design is very innovative, and they are trying to reduce tire waste on the planet. According to Michelin, 20% of tires are wasted because of punctures or blow outs. That wouldn't happen with this new design. But, there's got to be a catch right?

They've teamed up with GM and we could see these on new car models in the next few years. It will be interesting to see how these handle snow and mud, etc. If you've ever had snow stuck in your wheel rims it can cause balance issues and make your car wobble down the road. With all this open space in the wheel, have they accounted for the accumulation of snow or road debris?