Minneapolis – Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) today announced the company’s TerrainArmor™ Non-Pneumatic Tire (NPT) was a finalist for Tire Technology of the Year by Tire Technology International.

“Polaris would like to thank Tire Technology International for recognizing TerrainArmor tires as part of their short list for Technology of the Year,’” said Rich Haddad, general manager of Polaris Defense. “Polaris is the first manufacturer to bring NPT technology to the off-road consumer and defense markets, and we feel the technology will make a great impact on the future of our industry.”

In 2013, Polaris Defense started offering TerrainArmor tires as an option for its military vehicles. This breakthrough technology has proven to be beneficial with military, emergency response and disaster relief teams.

“One of our challenges is getting to the point of need where people are, and usually debris stops us from doing that,” said Kevin Smith of the Salvation Army. “Specifically in the Oklahoma City tornado disaster, the TerrainArmor tires allowed us to reach people who were not served for days.”

Beyond having no flats, TerrainArmor tires offer a better center-of-gravity, improved cornering due to less pushing and the capability for the tires to be designed for a diverse range of applications.