Michelin Unveils Energy Guard Tractor-Trailer Aerodynamic Solution

[kscarbel2]

Jack Roberts, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  March 4, 2018

Michelin is one of the oldest legacy companies serving the global trucking industry today. But according to Adam Murphy, vice president of business to business marketing for Michelin, the company doesn’t so much view itself as a “tire” manufacturer today, as it does a supplier of integrated transportation systems.

Taken in that light, the launch today of Michelin’s new Energy Guard aerodynamic system for tractor-trailers doesn’t seem like quite the departure it would’ve just a few years ago. According to Murphy, speaking at the Technology & Maintenance Council's annual meeting in Atlanta, Michelin’s approach to tractor-trailer aerodynamics is a solution that increases fuel economy, decreases maintenance costs and requires no driver interaction.

Energy Guard consists of a trailer skirt, trailer-end fairings, aerodynamic mud flaps and a patent-pending wake reducer, which Michelin says eliminates the need for “boat tail” fairings or combining aerodynamic products from different suppliers.

 

Murphy said Energy One features several innovations in its patent-pending design, including a trailer skirt that fully integrates with other aerodynamic components. The skirts are made from resilient, modern composites that bend out of the way when striking a objects. The wake reducer is much smaller in size than “boat tail” fairings in use today, Murphy said, but still minimizes the effect of the air recirculation zone that creates drag behind a trailer. Even better, he said, both are systems automatically functioning once installed and always activated without any driver actions.

According to testing carried out by Michelin, Murphy said, the new Energy Guard aerodynamic system can deliver 7.4% fuel savings at 65 mph compared to tractor-trailers with no aerodynamic system. This works out to savings of $3,000 and 1,000 gallons of fuel per truck, per 100,000 miles run.

All-Weather X One Drive Tire offers 25% better traction in snow and ice

Michelin isn’t turning its back on its core business, of course, and drove that point home with the additional introduction of its new All-Weather X One Drive tire in Atlanta Sunday.

The tire features new, wide open shoulder grooves to deliver improved grip and traction in ice and snow, which was verified in the 3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake Certification testing carried out in an Arctic test facility. The 25% increase in grip is largely thanks to Michelin’s Matrix siping technology, Murphy said, which features interlocking sipes with zig-zag walls to provide thousands of biting edges for the portion of the tire in contact with the road to provide additional grip in adverse weather conditions.

The All-Weather X One tire is SmartWay certified, and features a top layer of dual compound tread to provide long tread life, while the bottom layer features dual compound treads designed to run cooler for longer casing life and retreadability.

.

[kscarbel2]

Michelin launches complete aero package, wide-based drive tire

Lucas Deal, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ)  /  March 4, 2018

Michelin is expanding out of the wheel well.

The company on Sunday introduced Energy Guard, a complete five-piece SmartWay-verified aerodynamic trailer kit for the commercial trailer market. The announcement was made at ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Michelin describes Energy Guard as an “easy-to-use, fuel-efficient and aerodynamic solution.” Consisting of a resilient trailer skirt, trailer-end fairings, aerodynamic mud flaps and a wake reducer, Michelin says its integrated kit eliminates the need for boat tails or combining elements from various vendors. Available for use on 53-ft. dry-van truck load, refrigerated truck load and other long-haul and super-regional applications, Energy Guard “contributes to the sustainable progress” to moving people and goods, says Adam Murphy, vice president, B2B marketing at Michelin North America.

“Fleets can be frustrated with the current market solutions for fuel savings as they strive to improve their margins and competitiveness,” says Murphy,“Our Energy Guard solution can result in a 7.4 percent fuel savings. Best of all, it requires no driver interaction in order to achieve these impressive results.”

Michelin says the fully-integrated Energy Guard kit boasts several innovations with its patent-pending design. The resilient trailer skirt integrates with other aerodynamic components, while its advanced technology enables coverage and stiffness without sacrificing durability. The skirt’s flexible design folds out of the way if it strikes an obstacle or debris, while the trailer-end fairings direct airflow to the back of the trailer. Michelin says the system weighs around 200 lb. in total.

Additionally, Murphy says the wake reducer minimizes the effect of the recirculation zone behind the trailer. The trailer end fairings and wake reducer are automatically functioning, always activated requiring no driver actions. The aerodynamic mud flaps reduce vehicle drag and road spray.

Michelin Americas Truck Tires also on Sunday introduced its X ONE LINE GRIP D drive tire. The first launch in the revitalization of the X1 portfolio, the X ONE LINE GRIP D will be available in May. Murphy says the tire is developed to maximize driver confidence in harsh weather operating in long-haul and super-regional routes.
Michelin says the tire will meet SmartWay requirements for low-rolling resistance tires and replaces the market-leading wide-base single, the X ONE XDN2. It is available in 445/50R22.5 and 455/55R22.5 sizes, allows fleets to carry 389 lb. of additional payload versus dual-wheel applications, critical for weight-sensitive fleets, the company says.

“Protecting drivers and their loads while providing outstanding total cost of ownership are key factors for driver retention, load care and uptime,” Murphy says. “Michelin X ONE LINE GRIP D is the tire for miles of confident driving and all-weather grip while offering the right balance of fuel efficiency, weight savings and long tread life. The latest X One introduction continues our leadership in wide-base single innovation and provides a market-leading solution.”

.