Michelin launches X Line Energy

Visitors to Michelin’s stand at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Germany, which opens to the public today, will be greeted by a whole new range of tyres from the French manufacturer. The world premier of the X Line Energy range is being held at the show; Michelin says the launch of the new range comes at a “special time” as it coincides with the introduction of the European tyre labelling programme.

Michelin is also introducing the new range at a time when transport companies in Europe are facing a decline in business, with tonnages in Western Europe declining from 261,787,000 tonnes in 2008 to 211,539,000 last year. Admittedly, Eastern Europe enjoyed a rise in tonnage from 95,751,000 tonnes to 105,306,000 over the same period. Truck sales have also dropped and thousands of transport companies have gone out of business in the last few years.

The X Line Energy and Michelin’s other commercial vehicle products address these challenges. Michelin describes its truck line-up as representing a “solid, practical solution for substantially reducing the cost of ownership,” not least due to the tyres’ ability to be retreaded and regrooved.

The Michelin truck tyre range is now segmented into six families, a classification it believes will enable transporters to choose the right tyre for their operations. The segmentation is as follows:

• Michelin X Line, specially designed for long-haul use on motorways and other major roads.

• Michelin X Multi, specially designed for both short and long-haul use on all types of roads.

• Michelin X Coach, specially designed for buses, on both short and long routes on all types of roads.

• Michelin X Works, specially designed for use in a variety of situations, on roads, in and around worksites, and in quarries.

• Michelin X InCity, specially designed for use on city and suburban streets.

• Michelin X Force, specially designed for civilian and military vehicles driven mainly on rough or unpaved surfaces.

The all-new X Line Energy replaces the Michelin Energy SaverGreen and will be available in three sizes – 315/70 R 22.5 Z for all-position fitment, 315/70 R 22.5 D steer axle and a 385/55 R 22.5 T trailer tyre. The long-haul line-up is Michelin’s fifth generation of low rolling resistance truck tyres, and the range boasts a B label rating in rolling resistance for tractor unit tyres and an A rating for trailer tyres. According to the tyre maker’s calculations, this means the X Line Energy T delivers savings that can cut around £1,600 from the annual fuel bill, based on a trailer covering 80,000 miles a year with the same set of tyres fitted on all five axles, an estimated (and generously low) diesel fuel price of 88 pence per litre, and in comparison with similar sized X Multiway 3D tyres.

Michelin says the qualities of its new X Line Energy “respond fully to the expectations of long-haul transport companies,” and offer benefits that include: Reliability through a long-lasting casing, resistance to shifting on trailer wheel rims, effective wet braking and a comfortable ride and precision steering for drivers; high mileage (before regrooving and retreading), regular wear that attenuates tyre rotation on the rim and versatility that allows the tyre to be used on secondary roads; up to 20 per cent greater longevity (for front tyres; up to 12 per cent for the trailer) in comparison with the previous generation Michelin Energy SaverGreen; and consistent performance over time.

The X Line Energy is manufactured in Michelin’s European plants and will be available in November 2012 as original equipment. Deliveries to resellers as a replacement market fitment begin in February 2013.