Michelin Rolls Out Fuel-Efficient Mining Tire

Michelin North America Inc. has unveiled what it calls “the mining industry’s first-ever energy efficient tire that is designed to reduce a mining vehicle’s fuel consumption and lower emissions.” 
  
Formally rolled out during the 2024 MINExpo show, the new Michelin XDR 4 Speed Energy tire achieves up to 3.6% better fuel efficiency compared to the Michelin XDR 250 C tire, “resulting in savings of about 5,300 gallons of fuel or $24,000 per truck annually,” according to Michelin officials. “For a fleet of 50 trucks, this would equate to almost $1.2 million in annual savings and a reduction of 2,600 tons of CO2 emissions within a year.” 
  
“To gain a clearer insight into a tire’s impact on energy efficiency, we must examine the forces that slow down vehicle movement, referred to as rolling resistance,” says Lisa Hickey, Michelin’s sustainability lead for mining. “The Michelin XDR 4 Speed Energy tire features innovative technologies - such as an optimized, more flexible tread and energy-saving rubber compound - that enable the tire to run cooler and result in more energy being directed towards propelling the truck.” 
  
According to Michelin officials, this “allows vehicles such as rigid dump trucks to minimize energy consumption using a new energy-saving compound. When a mining vehicle carries a load and operates on various terrains, whether hard or soft, the tire deforms and flexes, generating heat that results in energy loss and requires the vehicle to exert more effort to move forward.”