Michelin North America Inc. has released the new X InCity Grip D tire that is designed for use in harsh winter weather conditions. It is specifically made for bus fleets that operate in Canada, Northeast, Northwest, and upper-Midwest. According to the tiremaker, this new premium drive tire provides protection for fleets in urban environments so that they can operate throughout the winter.
“The all-new Michelin X InCity Grip D urban drive tire is designed to keep buses moving with confidence in winter conditions,” says Mike Tolman, product category manager of Michelin’s urban mobility business line.
“Tires that move buses for transit authorities need to be cost-efficient, safe and keep buses moving to remain on time and reliable, even during harsh weather conditions. But this can be a challenge for the transit equipment managers. We want this tire offer to be the No. 1 choice of transit authorities requiring a new drive tire for their applications.”
According to Michelin, the InCity Grip D has three main benefits:
- It’s dependable and robust
- It offers long even wear for low-cost per mile operation
- It provides confidence to operators in all weather conditions
Some of the features that the tire has include:
- Thick sidewalls that protect the tire against curb scrub, shocks, and impacts in tough urban conditions.
- Wear indicators on the sidewall that promote regular tire rotations for enhanced retreadability and long casing life.
- An elastic, full-width protector ply for casing-fatigue resistance and improved casing protection.
- An extended metallic chafer ply that dissipates heat in the bead area to improve bead durability.
- Full-depth sipes that provide excellent traction throughout the tread life.
- Zig-zag groove walls that provide biting edges and water and snow evacuation to help with handling and stability.
- Matrix sipes that provide inter-locking action for even wear and traction.
The X InCity Grip D Michelin tire boasts application-specific compounds, wide open-shoulder grooves, and a unique tread design that improves tread life. Long, even wear helps fleet operators to reduce cost per mile and capitalize on miles. The tire also meets the Buy America requirements for state and federal transit administration needs. It is available in Canada and the U.S. in load range J and size 305/70R22.5.