Tyre industry pioneers, Michelin has a long history. Having begun in 1889, Michelin is now the second-largest tyre manufacturer in the world after Bridgestone and larger than both Goodyear and Contineantal.
The update to the EvoBib that Michelin announced last year has now arrived. The tyre maker is offering UK customers two sizes – VF 710/70 R 42 and VF 600/70 R 30 – and will expand the range in 2023 with the addition of new dimensions for larger tractors of more than 300 hp.
On 4 January Marco Giuliani physically rejoined Michelin Headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand after a number of years to take on the role of vice president corporate Sales and Distribution Europe.
As of January 2023, Pierre-Louis Dubourdeau is Executive Vice-President of Manufacturing for the Michelin Group. In this role, Dubourdeau takes on responsibility for all Michelin factories around the world. He has also been appointed to the company’s Group Executive Committee.
Yeovil-based Ariel Motor Company is probably best-known for the hair-raising fun associated with its Ariel Atom and Nomad. However, last August the company entered supercar territory with the launch of the 1180 bhp electric-powered Hipercar.
Not only does the DTM touring car championship have a new home as part of Europe’s largest motoring association, the ADAC, changes are also afoot in the tyre department. Pirelli, who has long equipped another ADAC-backed series, is taking over from Michelin as exclusive DTM tyre supplier in 2023.
Negotiations have commenced for vehicle manufacturer Stellantis to acquire a “substantial stake” in zero-emission hydrogen mobility firm Symbio, with the expectation that it will become a “significant player” along with Faurecia and Michelin. Commenting on the negotiations, Michelin’s Florent Menegaux said the arrival of Stellantis will “catalyse the tremendous industrial momentum” that the existing stakeholders have already achieved.
Many tyre makers have faced difficult decisions in the weeks and months since Russian troops first marched across Ukraine’s border on 24 February. Companies such as Nokian Tyres, Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin, Yokohama and Pirelli have needed to decide whether to continue operating their Russian plants. Four of these manufacturers are turning their backs on Russia or considering doing so, but two apparently are not.
During the Smithers Recovered Carbon Black conference, which took place in Berlin in November, Bridgestone and Michelin jointly shared the results of efforts to develop a global standard to increase the utilisation of recovered carbon black in tyres. Click here to read or download Bridgestone and Michelin’s rCB grades and specifications proposal presentation.
Earlier in 2022 Michelin introduced the SprayBib CFO (Cyclic Field Operation) as successor to the SprayBib. It is now available in 14 sizes, including a new dimension: SprayBib CFO VF710/60R46. Designed for self-propelled sprayers, it is the first very-low-pressure flotation tyre in the SprayBib CFO line-up.
Ballymoney-based J Adams & Sons Transport is switching its fleet of 16 tractor units and 35 trailers to a full Michelin X Multi new and Remix policy, in a move designed to maximise tyre life and sustainability.
Last year, Michelin North America, Inc. and the registrar at the National Day Calendar introduced National Check Your Wipers Day, reminding US drivers to regularly check their windscreen wipers. This year, the concept has gone international, with Michelin expanding the annual reminder date to Canada and Europe.
Michelin has launched the Michelin X Stacker 3 HD for reach stackers, designed for heavy duty use primarily in ports. The new tyre, which replaces the older generation X Stacker 2 LC, limits unexpected machine downtime, reducing urgent need for replacement and extra service costs for the customer. Its optimised tread wear indicator allows for secure wear life projection, meaning operators can plan the appropriate maintenance accordingly.
Inflatable structure specialist AirCaptif, a Michelin company since late last year, has unveiled a new innovation in partnership with Dassault Aviation. At the same time, Michelin announces that AirCaptif plans to double its production capacity from 2023 and bring new talent into the team.
Global tyre businesses have exited the Russian tyre business as a direct consequence of the Russian government’s decision to invade Ukraine. We all knew this was coming, following initial announcements from the likes of Michelin, Bridgestone and Nokian along those lines in the second quarter of 2022. However, the news that Nokian sold its much-lauded St. Petersburg operation to Tatneft at the end of October indicates that the exodus is underway. And that, in turn, means significant tyre production capacity within Russia has changed hands, something that has an inevitable impact on those departing, those remaining and the wider tyre business. In this column, we take a look at how Michelin, Bridgestone and Nokian have been negotiating their respective exits from Russia and ask what it might mean for the future.
Michelin’s third-quarter 2022 sales outperformed consensus expectations by 3.9 per cent. Sharing its third-quarter 2022 financial results, Michelin confirmed its full-year 2022 adjusted pre-tax profit (EBIT) guidance, but it also reduced its free-cash-flow expectations by 0.5 billion euros. But much of the company’s relative success depends on its strong price-mix performance, a factor that is equally important to other premium tyre brands. Here, Tyres & Accessories reads Michelin’s recent third-quarter 2022 financial results in light of the consensus expectations and a recent investor’s note published by Jefferies.
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Jefferies