Nitrogen VS Air | Which Is Better For Your Car Tyres?

Drivers around the world have been involved in long-drawn arguments over whether to use air or Nitrogen in their car tyres. Undecided, if you have turned to social media, it hasn't been of any concrete help, for sure. Claims for both sides are made and there is no right answer. Well, we are here to put an end to this debate and give you one right answer.

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Air In Tyres

Motorists have preferred normal, everyday air forever and have not complained. Compressed air is available easily and literally costs nothing. These air-filling ports can often be seen at petrol pumps across the country, offering air free of cost.

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Advantages:

• Easily available
• Cheap

Disadvantages:

• Can leak out
• Oxidising tyres, leading to tyre-wear
• Temperature affects tyre pressure

Nitrogen In Tyres

The purest form of Nitrogen is non-combustible, non-reactive inert gas and has been used in aircrafts, commercial vehicles, and race cars for a long time. Nitrogen is now available in India as an alternative to air in car tyres.

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Advantages:

• No leaks or loss of pressure
• Non-reactive
• No moisture, so no corrosion
• Cooler

Disadvantages:

• Expensive
• Scarcely available
• Cannot be mixed with air
• Often mixed with impurities

Which Should You Choose?

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Every type of tyre contains microscopic pores. Over time, any gas you fill will seep through them, eventually reducing tyre pressure. If you want to maintain the inflation pressure, use Nitrogen instead. Nitrogen has larger gas molecules and moves slower through your tyres than air.

Nitrogen can be particularly beneficial if you come under any of the following categories:

• You have at least one vehicle that you primarily use on the racetrack.
• You rarely drive your vehicle and it remains unused for extensive periods.
• You have a collectible vehicle that you rarely drive through any great distance.
• You leave your vehicle without using it for significant lengths of time.

However, If your travel includes ‘home-office-home' on a daily basis, then the cost of Nitrogen outweighs any benefit it can provide. Any savings you'd have on fuel will be so insignificant that you won't even notice the difference. Although Nitrogen has been known to provide a better-quality ride, there is very little evidence to support these claims.

There is no single right or wrong answer when it comes to this debate. The most important aspect of tyre management is ensuring your car tyres are at optimum pressure always, no matter whether you use Nitrogen or compressed air. When you have a properly inflated tyre, you will notice that your tire will wear evenly with time, improve fuel economy of your car, handle terrain better and last longer.