Michelin, one of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world, has released new radial truck tyres for India. The new ones will be produced in its Rs. 4,000 crores worth Chennai facility and the company promises the tyres to be stronger than ever. Known as Michelin X multi-range tubeless radial tyres, it is developed according to domestic requirements and the company claims that will handle wet conditions excellently.
The new tyres have a new tread rubber compound that will increase its life and slow down wear and tear during tough conditions. They also get a wider area to tread to generate maximum contact with the road as many trucks travel in dangerous mountainous conditions that require them to have more grips to remain on track. The tyre also has a special elastic compound that prevents them from becoming totally useless by giving the option of retreading.
The tyres have been designed with long distance travel in mind and, therefore, more metallic wire has been installed in inner lines to give it more strength and longevity. Michelin’s double sector mould technology has also been applied to improve high speed handling. Appropriate steps have been taken by the company to reduce tyre noise. The company believes that average speed of commercial vehicles is consistently increasing in India and thereby the county needs to adopt tubeless tyres.
The new range will be available in all Michelin dealerships across the country and prices will start at Rs. 20,000 exclusive of taxes. The company has forecasted an increase of 5,000 tons in its production facility this year from the current 11,000 tons. This is the result of increasing demands from owners of commercial vehicles for high quality tyres. Companies like Volvo have agreed with Michelin that tubeless tyres are more affective in high speed conditions.
