East Midlands ambulances to wear Michelin year-round tyres

Following on from its fitment of Michelin CrossClimate+ tyres to 148 rapid response Skoda Scout cars last year, East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has now moved its 449-strong blue light ambulance fleet across to a 100 per cent Michelin Agilis CrossClimate tyre policy. The rollout will see 332 Fiat Ducato accident and emergency ambulances and 117 Peugeot Boxers fitted with Michelin rubber.

“In emergency situations we need to be able to trust that our tyres are giving us the best possible grip no matter what the weather conditions,” says Steve Farnsworth, EMAS general manager. EMAS NHS Trust provides urgent care and patient transport services for the 4.8 million people across the region.

Michelin shares that the Agilis CrossClimate’s tread pattern is manufactured with new rubber compounds that promote flexibility in cold temperatures and sidewall and shoulder protection features for improved robustness in service. As is the case for all CrossClimate products, the 2018-launched light commercial vehicle tyre was designed as a summer tyre with a full winter capability; as such, Michelin says the Agilis CrossClimate provides “safety in all weathers, high mileage, robustness, damage resistance and long-lasting performance.” Furthermore, as the tyre maker believes the Agilis CrossClimate “equates to low total cost of ownership” it considers the tyre ideal for EMAS, which is “keen to save costs and keep a safe fleet.”

“As an NHS Trust, we’re keen to make savings where we can and make sure we’re investing money in the right places – safe tyres for our blue light services being a key area,” comments Farnsworth. “The Agilis CrossClimates are extremely durable which saves us money on replacements. Being able to cope with all conditions means we don’t have to swap our fleet over from summer to winter tyres.”

According to Michelin, every UK public sector ambulance service now fits Michelin tyres on a first-choice policy. The benefit? Michelin says its tyres deliver “long lasting performance and maximum safety for the lifesaving services, whilst helping to deliver better value for the taxpayer.”

All ten NHS ambulance services in England have signed a first-choice policy, alongside those of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – each agreed under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Supply and Fit Tyres framework – with ATS Euromaster as the service provider of choice.