The new X One XDN2 wide-base on-highway drive tire introduced by Michelin Americas Truck Tires at the Great American Truck Show last week aims to be an all-in-one solution for truckers – providing optimum fuel efficiency, long life, and improved traction.
“We think it’s a real game changer,” said Don Baldwin, Michelin’s product marketing manager, at a press conference to show off the new tire. “We’ve had prototypes of this tire running in Canada for a while and found that the new X One XDN2 offers 7% lower rolling resistance than the XDA-HT tire it replaces, improving fuel economy 1% to 2%. Compared to its traditional dual-tire counterpart, the XDN2 lowers rolling resistance 15% and saves an additional 170 to 180 pounds per axle.”
Available to customers by November 2008, Baldwin said the tire is the first of the company’s wide-base models to incorporate Michelin Durable Technologies (MDT) features. Built with Infini-Coil – more than a quarter-of-a-mile of steel cord wrapped circumferentially around every X One tire from sidewall to sidewall – reduces the XDN2’s casing growth and stabilizes the contact patch, reducing irregular wear, Baldwin added.
The tread pattern also incorporates Matrix siping – corrugated grooves in the tread block that provide a zigzag appearance to lock the tread block as it moves through the contact patch, providing both tread block rigidity and exceptional traction, while resisting tread scrubbing. The XDN2 tire also features an open-shoulder tread design for additional traction, Baldwin noted.
“It’s about bringing the best of both worlds to the customer,” he noted. “Right now, two-thirds of the trucking market buys tires for wear and traction, while only a third buy them for fuel economy. This new tire will allow truck owners to gain all three benefits in one tire.”
Michelin’s X One XDN2 tire will be available in a 445/50R22.5 size (equivalent to a 275/80R22.5 size), with a 455/55R22.5 size (equivalent to an 11R22.5 size) to be added in December.
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