Michelin X Line Energy D
Michelin Truck Tires this week introduced a new trailer tire and a new retread tire in Louisville, Ky., at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
The premise behind both is combining fuel efficiency with durability and long-tire life, said Jaye Young, Michelin’s
marketing manager.
Specifically, with the X Line Energy T — the new trailer tire — Young says Michelin wanted to tackle fuel efficiency from a different angle. Because trailer tires are responsible for using about 42 percent of fuel use caused by tires, Young says, trying to make a fuel-efficient trailer tire that still had the tire life of other trailer tires is the next logical step in fuel-efficient tire manufacturing.
The X Line Energy T offers a 10 percent improvement in rolling resistance over comparable tires, Michelin says, and uses advanced compounding technology to meld that with long tread and casing life.
The tire will be available in May in sizes 11R22.5, 275/80R225, 11R24.5, 275/80R24.5 and is Smartway verified by the U.S. EPA.
The X Line Energy D retread tire is basically a progression in the evolution of retreads, Young says. Through the years, retreading improvement has basically been done to make the tires more comparable to new tires relative to life and performance.
Since that’s happened in recent years, Michelin’s been able to concentrate more on fuel efficiency of retreads, Young says, and in the recession and subsequent and current economic recovery period, fleets have noticed, she says, as more and more are turning to retreads as cheaper tire alternatives with no downside.
The Energy D’s dual compound tread is the key point to helping combine fuel efficiency and retread life. The top layer offers the good wear properties while cool running tread rubber helps battle heat and loss of rigidity.
The tire is Smartway verified, too, and comes with a 25 percent longer tread life guarantee.
Also at the show, Michelin has unveiled a video showing the benefits of switching to its X One wide-based tire. See it below.
[youtube gbtluEyEb1Y nolink]
