"Smart" tires being the latest such thing. Driven – as it were – by another thing there's no need for. Electric vehicles. For which a "need" was created – that of keeping the "climate" from "changing." The assumption you're required to accept being that such "change" is unnatural, menacing – and must be prevented. The solution is to drive energy (and raw materials) hogs rather than gas hogs.

Well, the "need" for EVs has created a "need" for tires to be "smart," apparently.

That is to say, tires that don't just roll but also report – on such things as road friction and its real-time effect on the tires. But why is there a "need" for this? Because EVs are very heavy and because their electric motors apply massive (and instantaneous) torque to the drive wheels and so, to the tires – which as a result are subject to much greater loads and stresses than tires have heretofore (pre-EV) been obliged to endure.

These loads and stresses increase the chances of a tire failing and assure the tire will wear faster, too. Voila! You have created a "need" for tires that are smart – to let you (or the vehicle) know how they are doing.

But why not just check the tires every so often? Well, there's no longer any need to do that – or at least, people gave been so conditioned to believe – because all cars made since about 25 years ago have come standard with tire pressure monitoring systems, so as to eliminate the need to do that. People used to be taught to check their tires – for indications of damage, excess wear and pressure – themselves, as by having a look at them.