Michelin Sees Tire That Avoids Flats on Cars Eventually
Michelin’s plan to be the first large-scale maker of airless tires that avoid punctures will first target flat-prone industries such as construction. Passenger cars may eventually use the technology, too.
The French manufacturer plans to invest $50 million in a factory in Piedmont, South Carolina, to produce the Michelin X Tweel, according to an e-mailed statement.
The product combines the tire with a flexible wheel assembly that can also be used in recycling and agriculture operations. After “exhaustive research and testing” the Tweel may be usable on cars, said Pete Selleck, chairman and president of Michelin North America.
“One day I can tell you, Tweel may even be on automobiles,” Selleck said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. “We do know that the low-speed applications are just the beginning, and we do know Michelin will always be the first.”
While there’s no time frame yet for expanding to smaller vehicles, the airless tires could first be used in developing nations where bad roads require slow driving, he said.
“That could lead the way to broader passenger-car applications,” Selleck said.
Michelin is seeking to develop high-end products to diversify away from the competitiveness and volatility of the traditional tire market. The Clermont-Ferrand, France-based company last month cut its full-year growth forecast and reduced its plan for capital expenditures through 2017.
The French manufacturer’s new Piedmont plant is its 10th factory in South Carolina and 16th in the U.S., according to the statement. Its North American operations, including Mexico, generated 7.03 billion euros ($8.8 billion) in net sales last year, or 35% of the total, according to its annual report.
Airless tires are a smart solution for construction work, the company said.
“The industry is hungry for solutions contributing to productivity, safety and bottom lines,” Ralph Dimenna, head of Michelin Tweel Technologies, the unit that will produce the tire, said in the statement.
