Environmental award-winning coach company to trial Michelin X Energy Savergreen tyre

Stoke-based bus and coach operator Bakers Coaches says trialling Michelin’s X Energy SaverGreen tyres is the next step in a series of fuel-saving initiatives it is undertaking. The company was awarded an Environmental Business Award for its commitment to reducing carbon emissions at local newspaper The Sentinel’s Business Awards ceremony in March 2011 for its pro-environmental activities. These include the construction of an eco-friendly operating centre in 2007 and recent fleet-wide installation of advanced GreenRoad vehicle telematics and Masternaught tracking technology.

The company’s managing director Phil Baker says trialling Michelin’s X Energy SaverGreen tyres – which the tyre manufacturer says gave a 1.7 litre fuel saving per 100km compared with their competitors’ average in independent TÜV SÜD testing in July 2010 – is “the natural next step”: “Tests have shown that these tyres offer the greatest potential for long-term fuel savings, meaning both an improvement in profitability and further carbon emission reductions.

“Our expectations for the trial are extremely positive,” he adds. “Given the tyres’ track record, we are expecting to see significant fuel and cost savings.” Designed for long-distance and high average speed use on motorways and main roads, the X Energy SaverGreen range incorporates innovative technology including a patented “Energy Flex” casing which maintains a low rolling resistance throughout the tyres’ life – including after regrooving and remixing – by reducing the generation of heat.

Patented “double wave” sipes built into the drive-axle tread pattern improve traction by up to 10 per cent on damp, slippery surfaces compared to the Michelin XDA2+ in the same size, the French giant states. In keeping with their green credentials, all tyres in the X Energy SaverGreen range are both regroovable and retreadable as Michelin Remix.

Baker says if the trial – scheduled to start in June 2011 – returns positive results, the Michelin tyres are likely to be fitted across the coach fleet. “It would be the obvious decision to reflect and support our company ethos,” he says.

Bakers Coaches operates from a custom-built, eco-friendly site, housing a 45,000 litre rainwater harvesting tank to wash vehicles and an insulated garage which is heated by waste engine oil. The site saves 6.5 million litres of mains water and 10,000 litres of kerosene each year. The X Energy SaverGreen range is currently available in four sizes, with axle-specific fitments for coaches, trucks and trailers.