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Michelin Unveils Its First Prototype Tire for Electric Vehicles

A special power train requires a special tire. That's the philosophy embraced by MICHELIN when designing its original concept tire for electric vehicles.

At a time when automobile manufacturers are presenting their first commercialized battery-powered cars and prototypes, MICHELIN is unveiling its concept tire developed specifically for this type of vehicle.

In line with its fuel-efficient tires (four generations of which have been introduced since 1992), MICHELIN has designed a tire that provides a host of benefits, either increasing the vehicle’s range between charges or reducing the size of the battery to optimize use of interior space. At the same time, the tire enhances driving safety and delivers superior longevity.

Like all MICHELIN tires, the EV prototype achieves high performance levels in three areas:

• Energy efficiency

• Maximum grip (especially in challenging conditions)

• Long wear life

In addition to these qualities, the prototype offers a fourth quality – quiet ride – that is ideally suited for a power source that is relatively noise-free. To attain these results, research and development teams designed a tire that has been adapted to electric vehicle use through incorporating:

• The latest technology in tread rubber with new silica compounds

• A new tire profile designed specifically for urban use

• A specific tread design optimizing the surface of rubber in contact with the road

The EV prototype tire has all the benefits of a traditional MICHELIN tire in terms of grip and mileage, but its rolling resistance is reduced significantly to maximize the range of an electric vehicle.

In fact, the work the company has done on the EV concept tire shows that it is possible to reduce even more the level of rolling resistance compared to traditional passenger car tires by 15 percent. The current MICHELIN Energy Saver A/S passenger tire is already 30 percent better in rolling resistance than the market average.

In order to minimize rolling resistance, the EV prototype tire has a long diameter and is relatively narrow, thereby reducing energy consumption since there is less front rubber in the contact patch.

Moreover, the long diameter combined with a low profile helps reduce energy consumption because the tire turns fewer times when covering a given distance. Consequently, there is less deformation and heat build up, resulting in additional energy savings.

At the same time, the longer diameter means more rubber in the tread, thereby increasing total mileage and reducing overall operating costs.

Lastly, MICHELIN research and development teams have developed a unique tread design comprised of long, narrow, directional longitudinal grooves that provide a quiet ride as well as good grip on wet roads.

Research and development teams are involved in all possible areas of innovation. Tire sizes and structure, the materials used and the tread design have all been reworked so that the MICHELIN EV prototype tire provides outstanding energy efficiency as well as safety and comfort.

About Michelin
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin (www.michelin.com) designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Michelin is recognized as the leading innovator in the tire industry. The Michelin brand is the top selling tire brand worldwide. Worldwide sales for the Michelin Group were 16.4 billion euros in 2008. Sales for the North American operation in 2008 were $8.3 billion1. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs approximately 21,500 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.
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