Michelin paves way for innovative mobility

Leading tire and mobility company Michelin debuts at this year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE) with cutting-edge solutions on sustainable mobility and high hopes for the Chinese market.

Michelin debuts at this year’s CIIE many new products, technologies and solutions beyond just tires.

According to Kamran Vossoughi, president and CEO of Michelin China, CIIE is a platform enabling Michelin to establish closer connections in the country.

“These connections will enable Michelin to further enhance our business, and most importantly achieve common development with Chinese society, its market and people,” he said.

Michelin puts high value on three criteria — the growth and development of people, the longevity and independence of its business performance and positive contributions to the planet.

“Tomorrow, everything will be sustainable at Michelin,” Vossoughi said. “People, profit, planet. It’s all about the balance between these three criteria. Balance is the key to a sustainable future.”

Sustainable future

During the exhibition, Michelin will showcase many new products, technologies and solutions beyond just tires with the commitment of “all sustainable,” focusing on safer, smarter, greener and more joyful mobility.

With an imposing screen façade displaying Michelin’s journey over the past 131 years, the company has created a 500-square-meter space representing its vision of sustainable mobility, “Prominent Outside, Inclusive Inside.”

The space features MICHELIN XDR 3, the biggest tire in the world with a diameter of 4.03 meters and single-tire load capacity of 100 tons. Weighing more than 5.5 tons, the gigantic tire is fit for large, open-pit mine work.

At the Joyful Lobby, an interactive floor with animated stars provides an immersive “Michelin Lifestyle Experience” together with the company’s mascot, the Michelin Man, exploring trends related to delicacies, hotels and wine with the Michelin Guide, Tablet Hotels and Wine Advocate.

Formula E Car illustrates the “Track to Street” initiative by Michelin’s innovation laboratory to apply advanced technologies in domestic tires.

Followed by the Smarter Mobility section, solutions pioneered by Michelin provide visions of a smart, connected world supported by Track Connect, Metro Connect, MEMS 4, Smart Connected Tire, etc.

Notably, the company will unveil its Michelin I-Selfseal solution, which helps drivers monitor tires in real time and provides solutions for tire deflation.

Michelin is also showcasing its efforts to make mobility greener through its Sustainable Eco System of 4Rs — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew — together with the SYMBIO STACKPACK M on display, a green fuel-cell system powered by air and hydrogen that enhances the portability of vehicles with zero carbon emissions.

Michelin will also present VISION concept tire which represents its vision of product development in future. The VISION concept tire will be airless, connected, rechargeable, customizable and organic, and is both a wheel and a tire. On this journey of innovation, UPTIS, the first debut, is an airless mobility solution for passenger vehicles, which reduces the risk of flat tires and other air loss failures that result from punctures or road hazards. This is also the first debut of UPTIS in China.

“In its quest to make sustainable mobility a reality, Michelin moves closer to this ambitious goal every day,” Vossoughi said. “Offering everyone a better way forward — that’s Michelin’s purpose.”

Confidence in China

Since its first entry into China over three decades ago, Michelin continuously brings advanced technology and high-quality products to China, aiming at a sustainable development and joint growth with China along the same path.

Michelin is the first in the industry to introduce lifecycle management of tires, which has been applied to the bus system in Beijing and brought improvements to its safe and green operation.

Since the first edition of Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau was published in 2008, the Shanghai, Taipei, Guangzhou and Beijing editions have been launched successively to provide consumers with more enjoyable life experiences apart from tire services.

Despite the many changes and uncertainties to the market by the pandemic this year, Michelin has reacted fast with resilience through new launches of products, smooth cooperation with business partners and investment for future development.

Michelin was among the first batch of signed companies to join the third CIIE this year. It also signed a memorandum very recently with CIIE’s organizing committee for further participation from 2021 to 2023.

For Vossoughi, CIIE is a major move by China to further open its market and an important and exciting platform for international companies as the country has been working on building a more competitive market with less access restrictions.

He stresses that a platform like CIIE is important in helping economy recover and in restoring people’s confidence, a responsibility Michelin needs to take on as well.

“CIIE serves as a new platform to help people open the perception of Michelin with a loud and clear message: With sustainable mobility, Michelin shares a journey to the sustainable future with you,” Vossoughi says.

The company also seeks to find potential partners and new business opportunities through the expo, such as hydrogen fuel cell and connected mobility solutions.

The auto market has also been recovering since the second half of 2020 with measures such as the increase of license plates in Shanghai, new-energy vehicle subsidies and car trade-in promotions.

Thus, Vossoughi adds that, in the post-pandemic era, supportive policies from the government are significant to strengthen the confidence of both sellers and consumers, as well as stimulating the market energy.

“We look forward to stronger policy signals to implementing more supporting measures. We will keep developing to provide more sustainable offers through our know-how in smart mobility and green mobility.”