Michelin Plans With Apollo ‘Still Alive’

(India/Rubber Asia) Michelin has said that its plan to manufacture a range of tyres in collaboration with Indian major Apollo Tyres “is still alive.”

Published: February 21, 2006

Michelin is waiting for use of radial tyres in India to pick up before “it starts working on the manufacturing front,” Mr. Herve Dub, CEO of Michelin India, told media the other day. The penetration of radial truck and bus tyres in the Indian market is less than 1% currently, which makes it unviable to set up manufacturing facilities in the country.

Though Michelin Apollo Tyres has bought land near Pune in Maharashtra state, “we’ve realigned our partnership with Apollo in this regard so that both of us can tap the immediate growth opportunities in the market,” he said.

“Michelin’s strategy will be to grow its truck and bus tyres business significantly, along with focusing on the passenger car segment,” Mr. Dub said.

Recommending summer tires based on customer demand

Let’s talk about why clear communication with customers is key with this segment.

By Christian Hinton

Published: April 25, 2024

If you’re a shop looking to sell summer tires, it’s important to know that customers looking for these tires have very specific needs. Let’s talk about why, before recommending summer tires, you need to fully understand customer performance requirements.

Unlike all-season or all-terrain tires built for diverse driving conditions, UHP summer tires are designed with one priority: dry and wet traction for performance driving. Lateral and longitudinal grip in dry and wet conditions are also important, which is achieved through optimized contact patches, high silica tread compounds and circumferential grooves to channel water. Generally, UHP summer tire tread design features large blocks and fewer grooves for more road contact on dry surfaces. The grooves are designed to channel water away from the tire, reducing the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads.