With all car manufacturers now removing the spare wheel from new vehicles, we have been approached by the research and development departments of two car manufacturers – one a 4×4 – for advice in developing a system for fixing flat tyres ‘after they happen’.

They say the products on the market are gimmicky, hit and miss, and the success rate is under 20% for many of them. We are now developing the ’emergency puncture repair’ which will guarantee to fix 99% of punctures – the 1% it will not fix will most likely still get you home. The kit will be for our exclusive distributors to distribute and to add to the PunctureSafe product range.

It will be a small plastic case, containing die-cut sponge, to hold one litre of PunctureSafe. The case will have a little pump that dispenses one unit for each push of the plunger. It will also have a valve core remover tool and a high-quality, heavy-duty twin piston 12v compressor with night light, which plugs into the cigarette lighter socket. The compressor is heavy-duty, to cope with 4×4 tyres, without it being large and heavy because of the technology behind it. This actual compressor is retailing at between £75 and £95 in the UK today, but with our volume purchasing we will be able to sell the finished and boxed repair kit to our exclusive distributors at £25. It can be sold on for under £75 to the end user. It will be suitable for members of the public and for professionals like motor mechanics etc., but we have identified a very good market with fleet operators. It is so reliable and so ‘up to the job’ it will even be suitable for small heavy goods vehicles.

It will be ‘the best on the market’. Why? It’s the best all-round heavy-duty 12V compressor, definitely the best tyre sealant and nobody has ever developed a delivery system for an emergency puncture repair kit using a small high-quality installation pump. It can pump against air pressures of 30psi in the event of soft tyres with a slow puncture, so there is no need to deflate the tyre. Systems on the market are not precise because they put the same quantity of sealant into all sizes of tyre, which is huge for a 12-inch wheel and not enough for a large 4×4 wheel. Because of our delivery system (the pump) our instructions for use will be simple and precise – units installed will be equal to the rim size, for example 12-inch wheels = 12 units, 16-inch wheels = 16 units, 19-inch wheels = 19 units, etc. The correct amount installed will mean the puncture will get fixed, and the sealant can stay in the tyre with no washout – unless it is on the 1% of occasions when it just gets you home. With 34 units in the litre of sealant, it will be okay for use two or three times until a replacement container of sealant is required.

We think the market for this will be big, because we found during our research that big interest came from all directions. Everyone thought our prototype was of good quality and the most reliable to have in an emergency. A lot of new vehicle owners we spoke with have now realised their new purchase does not have a spare wheel. Within two years, no new vehicles will have a spare.

We are also developing a version with our extra heavy-duty sealant, for small off-road vehicles such as golf buggies and ride-on mowers. The potential is excellent for both, and they will be ready for market in the next few months.