Michelin North America announced it has developed a new version of the Michelin X Line Energy D+ tire for Daimler's Cascadia Class 8 heavy-duty truck.

Three years in development, the Michelin X Line Energy D+ tire will be the featured long-haul drive-tire solution, contributing to the new Cascadia’s 5 percent fuel-efficiency improvement over the 2017 model. With about 35 percent of vehicle fuel consumption attributed to overcoming tire rolling resistance, the MICHELIN X Line Energy D+ sets new standards for ultra-low rolling resistance in a dual drive tire as one of DTNA’s key fuel-efficiency building blocks in the new Cascadia.

“The strong partnership with Daimler Trucks North America has resulted in new technology development through a close, collaborative and technical relationship,” said Adam Murphy, vice president, B2B marketing, Michelin North America. “In 2000, the partnership was key for the launch of the MICHELIN X ONE wide base single tire on the Freightliner Century truck. Michelin also worked with DTNA on the SuperTruck prototype, providing specially formulated low rolling-resistance tires. Our partnership has been rewarding for both parties, and we look forward to this relationship continuing for decades to come.”

“Selecting the right tire can play an important role in the fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks,” said Kary Schaefer, general manager, marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America. “At DTNA, we continue to push the limits when it comes to achieving new heights in fuel efficiency, and our continued partnership with Michelin has helped us further improve the new Cascadia’s already impressive performance.”

The project combined tire-vehicle performance simulation with experimental validation and yielded a product with the lowest rolling resistance offered by Michelin in a dual-fitment drive tire. The Michelin 275/80R22.5 X Line Energy D+ tire will be fitted exclusively as original equipment on the new Cascadia trucks recently announced by DTNA and will be commercialized for the replacement market later in the year.

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Michelin develops new version of Michelin X Line Energy D+ tire