1. New Ultra Low Profile Wide Base Single Tires
…or, what we call
X-One
by Mike Hurley
Segment Manager –Michelin NA
Bulk Fleets
11/14/2018

2. 11/14/2018

3. 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”?
11/14/2018

4. What are they all about ? The Premise :
To increase the overall productivity of the trucking industry by optimizing the vehicle / tire / wheel configuration.
11/14/2018

5. 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
11/14/2018

6. Genesis Conceived in Europe Developed and tested in the US
Introduced in fall of 2000 at the Great American Truck Show, Dallas, TX
In the US, the X One replaces Low Profile 22.5, 11R22.5, or Low Profile 24.5 dual tires, WITHOUT requiring ANY change in vehicle configuration.
In plain language, the X One is completely retrofitable with the above sizes, requiring neither truck redesign nor loss in resale value of the truck/trailer.
The X One IS NOT a “wide base”or a “Super Single” tire. Traditional “wide base or super single tires” are made for low mileage, Regional applications and require significant vehicle redesign. These products are not designed for the rigors of long haul use. Traditional super singles or wide base can be anywhere from 2” to 5” greater in diameter than the X One, greatly increasing the center of gravity of the load.
At time of resale, vehicles may be reverted back to duals, retaining the X One advantage for the fleet. All studs, and other hardware are 100% compatible.
11/14/2018

7. 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
11/14/2018

8. 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 ... ?
11/14/2018

9. Converter Dollies
Dramatically reduces effort needed to handle / turn dollies
2 pivot points instead of 4
11/14/2018

10. New Wide Base Single Tires
Are there advantages?
11/14/2018

11. New Wide Base Single Tires
There are 2 core advantages and several secondary advantages:
Fuel Savings
Weight Savings
11/14/2018

12. 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)
11/14/2018

13. Example: #1
T/A tractor trailer converted from an 18 wheeler to a ,
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
11/14/2018

14. Example: #2
T/A tractor trailer converted from an 18 wheeler to a ,
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
11/14/2018

15. Weight Savings
Replacing dual assemblies with wide base single tires delivers significant reduction in unsprung weight
Increased payload = increased revenue
11/14/2018

16. 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
11/14/2018

17. 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
11/14/2018

18. 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
11/14/2018

19. 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
11/14/2018

20. Do they offer any other benefits ?
Improved Stability
New generation wide base singles increase lateral stability and lower vehicle center of gravity
71.5”
95.6”
0” offset
91.9”
74.6”
2” offset
11/14/2018

21. 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
11/14/2018

22. 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 $ per vehicle
11/14/2018

23. 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%
11/14/2018

24. 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
11/14/2018

25. 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.
11/14/2018

26. Yes ! Are they here to stay ?
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
11/14/2018

27. What’s Next ? Optimizing vehicle design around the technology
11/14/2018

28. What’s Next ?
Developing new tire technologies that capitalize on the wide base single design
11/14/2018