Michelin on Friday, Oct. 1, announced it now has sold one million X One wide single tires. Michelin first introduced the wide-based single tire with the Michelin X One XDA and X One XTA tires in 2000 at the Great American Trucking Show, and since has added a wider variety of X One tires for different applications and vehicle types.
“This significant milestone – along with the breadth of wide single products we offer – proves that the X One tire is now a mainstream solution for fleet customers,” says François Corbin, chief operating officer of Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “Our goal all along has been to provide products that bring value to trucking fleets and owner-operators. The X One tire has delivered that value and will continue to deliver on that promise. Even in 2000, Michelin engineers could see that the future of the trucking industry would be a more responsible use of natural resources. We are now seeing those ideas become reality, and we stand ready with an industry-changing product that can address those needs.”
Michelin says that since 2000, with X One tires, fleets have gained up to 10 percent in fuel efficiency, resulting in more than 63 million gallons of fuel saved, which translates into 639,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions that did not enter the atmosphere. And because of the reduced weight, trucks with X One tires can save more than 700 pounds per truck, which leads to fewer trucks on the road for the same amount of load, resulting in increased freight efficiency and additional emissions savings.
Michelin also announced that its X One line is enjoying a banner sales year in 2010. The line of wide-single truck tires – which includes seven tires for a variety of applications –is outpacing its YTD results for 2009 by nearly 50 percent. “As more trucks return to our North American highways, fleet managers are turning to the Michelin X One tire to help save fuel and add to their bottom line,” says Ted Becker, vice president of marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “We’re finding these sales are coming from both existing customers who are already realizing the benefits of wide single tires, as well as new customers who are making the switch for the first time.”
The Michelin wide single tire is made possible by Infini-Coil Technology – more than a quarter-of-a-mile of steel cord wrapped circumferentially around the crown of every X One tire. Infini-Coil Technology is designed to reduce casing growth and stabilize the contact patch, reducing irregular wear.
