With a host of revolutionary products that appear for the very first time in the Middle East, the world’s largest tire manufacturer – Michelin – held a press conference today at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) to announce its participation in this year’s Middle East International Motor Show running from December 12th to 16th.
Michelin’s star of the show will be MICHELIN®‘Tweel’™, the first non-pneumatic tire to make its way to the Middle East. The technologically advanced tire has been specifically engineered to deal with specific conditions and applications such as on skid steer vehicles for construction sites, high technology wheel chairs and potentially for passenger cars: “Michelin is driven by a constant commitment to innovation as it strives to improve the mobility of people and goods, and we are extremely happy to demonstrate this at the region’s largest and most significant automotive event of the year”, said Pierre Menendes, Director of Technical Communication for Michelin Group.
Described by experts as a potential future for mobility, the design of the new tire involves an integrated tire and wheel combination that misses one ingredient that is vital for traditional tire performance - air: “The MICHELIN® Tweel™ is a futuristic generation of tires that offers the highest levels of safety, peace of mind, and value-for-money. We designed this new non-pneumatic range of tires using cutting-edge technologies and premium materials; they are puncture proof, require no maintenance, and are extremely shock resistant. “
The heart of Tweel™ innovation is its deceptively simple looking hub and spoke design that replaces the need for air pressure while delivering performance previously only available from pneumatic tires. The flexible spokes are fused with a flexible wheel that deforms to absorb shock and rebound with unimaginable ease. Without the air needed by conventional tires, MICHELIN® Tweel™ still delivers pneumatic-like performance in weight-carrying capacity, ride comfort, and the ability to "envelope" road hazards.
Michelin has also found that it can tune Tweel performances independently of each other, which is a significant change from conventional tires. This means that vertical stiffness (which primarily affects ride comfort) and lateral stiffness (which affects handling and cornering) can both be optimized, pushing the performance envelope in these applications and enabling new performances not possible for current inflated tires.
Other products on display at the Middle East International Motor Show include the new MICHELIN® Primacy™ HP, which will be launched soon and promises to set new standards when it comes to performance, safety, tread life and fuel consumption, the MICHELIN® Pilot™ Sport, the MICHELIN® 4x4 Diamaris™ which is designed to cope with the high demands of heavy and well-equipped luxury SUVs, and the MICHELIN® Pilot™Exalto™ - To name just a few.
“In the GCC, we are actively present through an extensive network of distributors and business partners comprising of automotive retailers and automobile dealers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait”, said, Mohamed Belayachi, Michelin’s director of sales for Middle East and North Africa.
“We are an organization that is driven by innovation, excellence and an uncompromising commitment to quality, and we believe that the various products on show this year will demonstrate our commitment to the region and its automotive sector”, concluded Belayachi.
Leading the tire industry with a 20,1% worldwide market share, Michelin (www.michelin.com) 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 19 million maps and guides. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin employs 127 000 employees from all background and cultures and operates 74 plants in 19 countries.
