LOUISVILLE, Ky. –Michelin is celebrating its 10th year of X One wide single truck tires with the introduction of what it claims to be the industry’s most fuel-efficient drive tire to date, the X One XDA Energy tire.

Announced at the Mid-America Trucking Show, the tire was part of commissioned independent tests where the Michelin tires were proven to be more than 7% better than top competitors’ most fuel-efficient tires, according to Don Baldwin, product marketing manager, Michelin Americas Truck Tires.

“For long-haul truck fleet managers and owner/operators still sitting on the fence about wide single tires, now is the time to make the switch from traditional duals,” said Baldwin.

Baldwin explained that the new tire is more fuel-efficient thanks to its belt design and compounds used. The company’s wide single tires employ Infini-Coil Technology -more than a quarter-of-a-mile of steel cord wrapped circumferentially around the crown of every X One tire. The Infini-Coil reduces casing growth and stabilizes the contact patch, reducing irregular wear, Baldwin says. In addition, Matrix Siping Technology helps provide exceptional traction on dry and slippery surfaces. The three-dimensional Matrix sipes lock together for the stability normally associated with solid tread blocks.

“The Matrix zig-zag sipes provide traction on dry and slippery surfaces along with the stability of a solid block pattern,” Baldwin said.

The X One XDA Energy tire is available in size 445/50R22.5 coast-to-coast, and will replace the Michelin X One XDA tire. With more than 550,000 wheel positions currently on the road, Michelin offers X One tires for various applications such as on-highway, off-highway, urban, waste hauling and recreational vehicles.

Michelin officials also released some numbers on how their single tires are reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Since their introduction in 2000, the tires have saved more than 58 million gallons of diesel fuel and more than 591,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas (CO2). A four-year US Dept. of Energy study released in 2009 showed wide single tires, like X One tires, increased vehicle fuel economy by 6-10%.