Michelin eyes Euro 6 coach market
Michelin is setting its sights on the pan-European Euro 6 coach market with the launch of a new 7.5-tonne load capacity X-Coach HL Z tyre incorporating Michelin’s patented InfiniCoil technology.
The improved load capacity* Michelin X-Coach HL Z tyre is an update to the current X-Coach range and is available exclusively as a 295/80 R 22.5 fitment, which Michelin expects will become the dominant tyre size on the majority of Euro 6 coaches sold across Europe.
The X-Coach HL Z fitment incorporates a new tread design featuring four wide longitudinal grooves for improved distribution of pressure across the width of the contact patch. Its improved load carrying capacity offers excellent mileage performance on a variety of road surfaces**, whilst wider shoulder ribs and asymmetric tread patterns improve resistance to accidental damage and abnormal tread wear.
The tyre benefits from InfiniCoil architecture, one of the key innovations of Michelin Durable Technologies, which consists of a steel cord, several hundred metres long, wrapped continuously around the crown, delivering unrivalled robustness, greater longevity and more even wear.
Commenting on its launch, Brian Porteous, UK Technical Manager at Michelin, says: “By incorporating Michelin’s InfiniCoil technology we’ve improved load carrying capacity by 400kg on a single front axle for example, compared with the previous X-Coach XZ tyre. We are always innovating and working closely with manufacturers to ensure our tyres are appropriate for the latest generation of vehicles, and we expect this tyre to play a key role in supporting the roll-out of Euro 6 vehicles into the market.”
The new 295/80 R 22.5 Michelin X-Coach HL Z is available immediately and is designed as an all-round fitment for Coaches.
The near-completion of a £20 million investment programme in Michelin’s Remix plant in Stoke-on-Trent will enable the tyres to be remoulded locally, in line with Michelin’s Four Lives policy. Previously, tyres incorporating Michelin Durable Technologies were sent to Michelin factories in mainland Europe for remoulding.
The launch of this new coach tyre is testament to the €500 million of investment Michelin channels into research and development every year – more than any other tyre manufacturer.