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Through a combination of research, expertise and technological know-how, Michelin makes constant progress in the design of tires which, when in actual use, have a minimal impact on the environment while making no concessions to safety. |
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| ‘’Innovative solutions for optimizing tire performance’’ |
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The Michelin Proxima innovation
To assist automobile manufacturers in reaching their objectives to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, Michelin is conducting in-depth research in order to develop a range of high-performance, more environmentally-friendly tires with very low rolling resistance. Today, the Proxima prototype tire meets these objectives because of a new structure and the use of innovative compounds. In comparison to the current Michelin Energy range: | | the weight of the tire has been reduced by 20%. | | | rolling resistance has been decreased by 25%. | |
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The first rolling tests for the Proxima tire were carried out in April 2002, in the context of a partnership between Michelin and Volkswagen for the CCO prototype. This vehicle was equipped with Proxima tires and tuned to consume 1 liter per 100 km. It recently completed a road test, which resulted in record consumption of 0.89 liter per 100km.
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| Retreading and regrooving to increase the life span of a truck tire |
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| | regrooving significantly increases tire efficiency (by 20 to 30% in some cases), because more tire tread is in contact with the road. This technique also enables fuel savings, because the tire maintains a low level of rolling resistance. | | | in addition, Michelin is the only manufacturer on the European truck market so fully committed to regrooving (a 23% share of the European market in 2001). More than 9 out of 10 Michelin carcasses (submitted for retreading) are accepted for Michelin RemiX retreading. This means that the same number of used tires do not need to be disposed of. | |
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These operations can be performed thanks to a tire carcass designed to last up to 1 million kilometers ! The ensuing environmental benefits are obvious: Less raw material and energy consumption for an identical service life !
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The right pressure
Despite driver awareness programs, such as "Fill up with air", organized by Michelin in 2004 in 14 EU countries during holiday periods, a great many people take to the road oblivious to the fact that their tires are under-inflated. To address this problem, Michelin has developed tire-pressure inflation-monitoring systems in partnership with automotive manufacturers. These systems improve tire performance, not only as far as safety is concerned, but also from a purely environmental standpoint.
At the end of 2003, Michelin proposed a monitoring system known as "EnTire Solution". Developed with TRW, this early-warning system alerts the driver to under-inflation and allows corrective action to be taken before the problem becomes serious. Michelin is also working with WABCO, SKF and TRW to develop an active pressure management system called TIPM (Tire Intelligent Pressure Management) by 2005.
This system will automatically inflate and deflate tires in order to adapt the pressure to suit actual driving conditions.
For a new urban mobility
At certain times of day, large cities are victims of traffic congestion and its associated annoyances. Today, urban mobility lies at the heart of a genuine public debate, opposing increased mobility requirements and concern for an improved quality of life. Cities are therefore addressing the challenge and preparing transport policies that reconcile mobility and the protection of the environment.
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