Truck tyre of the future? Michelin reveals five tonne trailer tyre
We've heard of the super-single category of truck tyres that are designed to reduce rolling resistance and increase fuel economy by replacing twin tyre fitments with a single, wider tyre. But what about a truck tyre that can carry so much more load than standard products that a trailer fitted with these can cancel out the need for an entire axle? Alongside the numerous passenger car tyre developments Tyres & Accessories reported on yesterday, Michelin also unveiled what we might tentatively call a five tonne truck tyre – a product that has the potential to be revolutionary in the truck market.
Developed in collaboration with MAN and Krone (owing to need to test and develop these tyres on specially adapted two-axle trailers), the new fitment reportedly offers hauliers an impressive 900 kilograms more load and a potential 14 per cent fuel saving. According to the company the fuel saving and load enhancement are generated by the removed of unnecessary tyres, wheels and of course an axle. This is is achieved by the inclusion of “ultra-strength” steel tyre cord in the construction of the new tyre, which although it makes the the casing a lot stronger also has the advantage of making it only slightly heavier. As a result the net gain to the haulier is very significant. And as you would expect – like all Michelin truck tyres the latest offering is said to be full retreadable, meaning it is likely to offer high whole-life mileages as well.
However, if wide truck tyres are generically referred to as super-singles what shall we call Michelin’s five-tonne tyre – a mega-single perhaps?
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