New Michelin tires 'help truck and coach fleets save more fuel'

ERJ staff report (TP)

Stoke-on-Trent, UK – Michelin is expanding its most fuel-efficient range of commercial vehicle tires ever with the launch of the 315/80 R 22.5 X Line Energy Z (multi-position) and 315/80 R 22.5 X Line Energy D (drive) fitments – a move it says is key for fleets investing in Euro VI vehicles.

Together with the existing 315/70 R 22.5 X Line Energy tires, launched in October 2012, the two tire sizes will ensure long-distance truck and coach operators can “extract the best total value of ownership from the first to the last millimetre of usable tire tread”.

They will be available on the original equipment and replacement markets from March 2014, with the new drive tire being manufactured at Michelin’s factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. A 385/65 R 22.5 X Line Energy T (trailer) fitment will join the existing 385/55 R 22.5 trailer tire in the range later in 2014.

Guy Heywood, Commercial Director of Michelin’s truck and coach division in the UK and Republic of Ireland, said: “At Euro VI, vehicles need a tire which can carry the increased axle load, and this expansion of the X Line Energy line-up enables fleets to unlock potentially significant fuel savings from the latest long-distance Michelin tires.”

The launch means operators seeking a 315/80 solution can benefit from tires featuring the best rolling resistance results in their class, without any impact upon tire life or grip on wet surfaces. The 315/80 drive tire even carries 3PMSF* markings on its sidewall for its impressive traction qualities when driving on snow.

Heywood said Michelin spend €622m on research and development each year – “more than any other tire manufacturer in the world”.

The new tires will replace the corresponding sizes in the previous Michelin Energy SaverGreen and Michelin A2 Energy ranges.

X Line Energy tires offer the optimum fitment solution for fleets operating primarily on motorways and major trunk roads, where vehicles cover in excess of 110,000 km a year at average speeds greater than 70 kph and with limited stops per day.

*3 Peak Mountain Snowflake