#MATS2014: Michelin marks X One milestone with new wide-base single trailer tire

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It took 10 years for Michelin to sell its first million X One wide-base single tires, and just three years to repeat the feat.

The company announced at the Mid-America Trucking Show that it has now sold two million X One tires since its launch in 2000. The Michelin Man himself unveiled the two millionth tire produced by the company.

Ted Becker, vice-president of marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, said in the late 90s, Michelin “had a vision to revolutionize the tire industry and that vision was the X One new-generation wide-base single, replacing duals.”

Michelin estimates it has helped customers save 150 million gallons of fuel with the introduction of the X One. It offers up to a 10% improvement in fuel efficiency and 740 lbs of weight savings per truck, Becker said. Early concerns about availability on the road have been eliminated, Becker said, noting there are now 2,000 points of sale and that the roll-time for X One roadside replacements is equal to that of dual tires.

Becker said Michelin will continue to expand its line of wide-base tires, and introduced at the show the new X One Line Energy T trailer tire, which he said will deliver 15% better removal mileage than previous offerings. A matching retread was also introduced, the X One Line Energy T Pre-Mold Retread.

Becker said Michelin improved upon removal mileage by developing a compound that maintains a consistent contact patch with the ground regardless of the load it’s carrying or road profile.

“With a traditional tire, as the vehicle load changes, so does the compact patch or footprint the tire has on the road,” Becker explained. “A lot of times trailers go out full and come back empty, there are camber issues, the crown of the road – all these factors affect the contact patch of the tire. We designed a casing structure that keeps a constant footprint to reduce irregular wear.”

Becker said the newest X One is “North America’s most fuel-efficient trailer tire” and is available immediately.

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