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Explore the advantages, disadvantages, and long-term impact of adopting new wide base single tires in the trucking industry. Learn about the significant fuel and weight savings, improved ride comfort, handling benefits, and reduced maintenance requirements. Understand the potential challenges, such as differences in mileage and flat tire occurrences. Discover how these innovative tires can enhance your fleet's efficiency and profitability.
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New Ultra Low Profile Wide Base Single Tires …or, what we call X-One by Mike Hurley Segment Manager –Michelin NA Bulk Fleets
New Wide Single topics What are they all about ? What are their advantages ? What are their disadvantages ? Are they here to stay or are they just a “flash in the pan”?
What are they all about ? The Premise : • To increase the overall productivity of the trucking industry by optimizing the vehicle / tire / wheel configuration.
What are they all about ? • These are NOT “Super Singles” • 445/50R22.5 is ~ 4” less in O/A Diam than 425/65R22.5 ~ 5.3” less than 445/65R22.5
Genesis • Conceived in Europe • Developed and tested in the US • Introduced in fall of 2000 at the Great American Truck Show, Dallas, TX
Testing • Thousands of tires over hundreds of millions of miles in both internal and fleet testing • Track testing to evaluate vehicle dynamics including sudden failure conditions • Ensuring retreadability
Market • Hundreds of thousands of tires on hundreds of thousands of wheel positions • Hundreds of BILLIONS of road miles since launch • Later introduced in Europe • New markets / vocations underway • Urban Buses, Refuse Vehicles, Concrete Mixers, Military and ... ?
Converter Dollies • Dramatically reduces effort needed to handle / turn dollies • 2 pivot points instead of 4
New Wide Base Single Tires Are there advantages?
New Wide Base Single Tires There are 2 core advantages and several secondary advantages: • Fuel Savings • Weight Savings
Fuel Savings • Documented, demonstrable fuel savings of 4% when converting from comparable tire types • ie: fuel efficient duals to fuel efficient wide single tires • ie: high mileage tires to high mileage wide single tires • DON’T FORGET THE TRAILER!!! (with one exception presently)
Example: #1 • T/A tractor trailer converted from an 18 wheeler to a 10 wheeler @ 150,000 mi/yr @ 6.0 mpg @$3.90/gal • LP 22.5 energy efficient drive and trailer tires to energy efficient wide base singles = Fuel Savings of $4,970 per vehicle PER YEAR! Comparing Michelin XZA 3 / X One XDA / X One XTA with XZA 3/ XDA 3 / XTA Energy
Example: #2 • T/A tractor trailer converted from an 18 wheeler to a 10 wheeler @ 150,000 mpy @ 6.0 mpg @$3.90/gal • LP 22.5 high mileage drive and trailer tires to high mileage wide base singles = Fuel Savings of $2,778 per vehicle per year Comparing Michelin XZA 3 / X One XDA-HT Plus / X One XTE with XZA 3/ XDA-HT / XTE
Weight Savings • Replacing dual assemblies with wide base single tires delivers significant reduction in unsprung weight • Increased payload = increased revenue
Example #1 • T/A tractor trailer converted from an 18 wheeler to a 10 wheeler • LP 22.5 energy efficient drive and trailer tires to energy efficient wide base singles – all on aluminum wheels = Weight Savings of 768 lbs. per vehicle per year
Example #2 • T/A tractor trailer converted from an 18 wheeler to a 10 wheeler • LP 22.5 high mileage drive and trailer tires to high mileage wide base singles – all on aluminum wheels = Weight Savings of 796 lbs. per vehicle per year
Do they offer any other benefits Improved ride comfort • The new generation of wide base singles dramatically improve spring rate relative to traditional dual fitments • ~15% Improvement (validated by on-board accelerometers) • Improvement in subjective ride quality similar to changing from leaf spring to air ride suspensions
Do they offer any other benefits Improved Handling • Higher cornering stiffness delivers improved handling response • Subjective feel of improved control in curves • Actually lower the center of gravity of a vehicle
Do they offer any other benefits ? 71.5” 0” offset 95.6” 74.6” 2” offset 91.9” Improved Stability • New generation wide base singles increase lateral stability and lower vehicle center of gravity
Do they offer any other benefits Easier Maintenance • One tire to mount vs two • Reduced inventory – tires & wheels • One pressure check per axle end • no more “ignored” inside duals
Do they offer any other benefits Reduced FET $ $ 18 wheeler on LP22.5 $454.14 10 wheeler on 445/50R22.5 $303.74 Net reduction of $150.40 per vehicle
What are the disadvantages? Fewer Miles • Depending on the nature of the application • Low scrub long haul service = +/- 10% • Higher scrub regional/highway service = - 10 to 30%
What are the disadvantages? Flats on the Road • Fleets report fewer flats with new wide base singles • Easier pressure maintenance • 2 extra layers of steel in crown • Different mechanical reaction to penetrating objects When compared to traditional duals
What are the disadvantages? Flats on the Road • Michelin Commercial Truck dealers and many mainstream Travel Plazas like Flying J, Love’s and Pilot are stocking the tires. • Michelin OnCall statistics report only an additional 10 minute average time to complete ERS calls for wide base singles compared to traditional duals.
Are they here to stay ? • Yes ! • The benefits are real and cannot be ignored in today’s competitive environment • reduced fuel consumption • improved ride and handling • weight reduction = increased payload • Michelin North America has committed + $80 Million USD to expanding X One capacity
What’s Next ? • Optimizing vehicle design around the technology
What’s Next ? • Developing new tire technologies that capitalize on the wide base single design