Michelin to Spend Millions Developing Fuel Efficient Tires

OAKLAND, Calif. — Michelin plans to spend millions researching ways to make its tires deliver improved fuel economy.

Over the next three years, the company, in partnership with Michelin Americas Research Co. and Clemson University University's International Center for Automotive Research, will spend $6.8 million investigating the reduction of tire rolling resistance.

A new generation of tires, materials and manufacturing processes will be developed, as well as better modeling and simulation tools.

Tires account for about 20 percent of the energy needed to power a car. In October, the company announced plans to reduce tire-related energy consumption through the reduction of tire rolling resistance by half. Allocating nearly 4 percent of its worldwide annual net sales to research, Michelin has decided to focus considerable funds on the design of green energy saving tires.

"The eyes of the transportation industry are fixed squarely on the Upstate of South Carolina," Jim Micali, Michelin North America's chairman and president, said in a statement. "We believe that the future -- not only of the automotive industry but also of transportation and mobility -- lies in the imaginations and hands of these researchers searching for ways to improve fuel economy and overall mobility."

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