At the end of the track, all four vehicles are ready. If they look identical at first sight, in reality, they are not quite. Two of them are equipped with “premium” tires (graded A), and the two others with “budget” tires, of lower quality (graded C). And for each of the two categories, one set of erasers is new, while the other is used up to the rope – that is to say, to the legal maximum. The demonstration starts: each car reaches 65 km / h on the soaked track and brakes to the total stop. The result is bluffing: the braking distance of the used premium tire (23.4 meters) is lower than that of the new budget tire (24.1 meters).
A real mess
We are next to Clermont Ferrand, on the Michelin test track, in Ladoux (Puy-de-Dôme). This little staging was concocted by the manufacturer, and its results certified by usher, to support his amazing speech against planned obsolescence . “People are convinced that by changing their tires more often, they are safer. These tests show that it is false. However, while the law forbids rolling with gums whose depth of the sculptures is less than 1.6 millimeters, corresponding to the witness, on average the changes occur at 3 millimeters “, explains Cyrille Roget, technical manager of innovation of the group. Some manufacturers even argue for an increase in regulatory maximum wear criteria to 3 millimeters.
A real mess, argues the group, according to which 128 million tires are consumed unnecessarily each year in Europe (and even 400 million worldwide), resulting in 6.9 billion euros of unnecessary expenditure per year for consumers, and the emission of 6.6 million tonnes of CO2. “Some manufacturers in many sectors are playing the card of planned obsolescence. At Michelin, we made the opposite choice, that of ‘programmed longevity’: the satisfaction of our customers is paramount “, insists Terry Gettys, the group’s R & D director.
Champion of sustainable mobility
Anxious to appear as a champion of sustainable mobility, Michelin has embarked on a real campaign on used tires with authorities and consumer associations. With for first ambassador its president, Jean-Dominique Senard . “It’s a very important subject for me,” he says. I want to change the European regulations to introduce criteria on used tires, whereas today it only concerns new tires. We hope for an inflection from 2018. “
A first step has already been taken in the publication of the “mobility package” published in mid-May, in which the European Commission recommends that tires be evaluated at the end of their life when they are approved. “The subject is at this stage just mentioned, but it is an important first step,” said Jean-Dominique Senard.
With its premium tires, Michelin of course also wants to take advantage and counter the low-end tires from developing countries, which are beginning to break into the global markets. While waiting tire of the future, presented by the group last year. Called “Vision”, it is actually a wheel printed in 3D, without air – so indestructible – and, above all, intended to roll to infinity: in case of wear, it is enough to redeposit a little eraser to start again, as in year 40.