SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Michelin North American Inc. has expanded output of X One wide single truck tires, adding a dedicated manufacturing line for the product at its Spartanburg plant.
Michelin said the expansion is being undertaken to meet aftermarket demand from its independent truck tire dealers and travel plazas and original equipment demand from fleets. The firm declined to disclose investment or capacity data pertaining to the expansion but said it involves primarily new tire building equipment.
X One wide single tires are designed to replace dual tires on the drive axles of trucks and on trailers, offering "significant" weight and fuel savings, Michelin said. The company has been selling the product in North America for about five years, and Michelin claims thousands of trucking fleets and individual owner-operators now use them.
"It is our belief that even more commercial dealers will begin to stock X One wide single tires as sales continue to increase each year and new versions of the product are introduced," said Michael Burroughes, product portfolio manager for Michelin Americas Truck Tires.
Michelin´s truck tire sales network includes more than 1,100 independent commercial dealership locations and more than 160 travel plazas throughout the U.S. In addition, tires produced on the line will be used to meet the needs of fleets requesting X One wide single tires as OE on their trucks and trailers.
The X One is available in a limited number of sizes, since the wide single technology can be applied to numerous vehicles in a variety of industries. Michelin recently introduced the X One XZUS, aimed specifically at the waste hauling/sanitation industry.
Complementing the growth of the X One, Michelin Retread Technologies Inc. is investing in molds at its Covington, Ga., plant to increase capacity for precured tread rubber for the wide singles.