We’ve already told you about the Michelin UPTIS, the puncture-proof tire of the future, but now we’ve learned that it’s ready to take its first steps a year early! Thanks to a partnership between Michelin and DHL Express, the transport company’s vans will start running on these airless tires to make home deliveries in Singapore by the end of 2023. This is the first time UPTIS will be able to be tested in real-world conditions, a giant step toward full-scale commercialization.
Practical, but above all economic reasons
One of the main benefits of the UPTIS for DHL is its ability to reduce downtime and the number of tires scrapped due to punctures. This optimizes fleet productivity and ensures business continuity. After all, tire pressure problems and flat tires are one of the primary reasons for vehicle downtime.
In addition to improving DHL’s bottom line and making its operations more efficient, UPTIS also promises to limit the number of tires thrown away due to flat tires, leading to less waste. This will likely make DHL the envy of other companies looking to operate more sustainably and economically, especially in the delivery market.
A green revolution?
Don’t be fooled, though: the UPTIS is not only beneficial for businesses, it’s also supposed to be better for the environment. Michelin’s airless technology is key to the company’s vision of a fully sustainable tire by 2050. Currently, 20 percent of tires are discarded prematurely due to punctures, cracks or uneven wear caused by poor tire pressure.
With the UPTIS, Michelin plans to prevent the premature removal of up to 200 million tires per year worldwide. That’s the equivalent of 2 million tons of material – a material savings the company compares to the weight of 200 Eiffel Towers! This not only reduces waste and pollution from the tire industry, but also saves resources by extending the life of the tires. Hopefully, this is a step towards a more sustainable future for the automotive industry as a whole.
In short, the ability to eliminate downtime as well as reduce wasted tires and maintenance time for DHL’s fleet makes UPTIS tires an obvious choice for the company. We hope to have access to UPTIS’ airless technology before 2050, but in the meantime we’ll have to make do with its lineup available at Blackcircles.ca. Don’t worry, though, as the X-Ice Snow and the CrossClimate 2 will do the trick without problem! After all, Michelin UPTIS technology is just another way for the company to innovate and offer products that help.
