The agreement continues a partnership that spans more than three decades and will see the manufacturer’s Connected Solutions Division supply, fit and manage the tyres across a fleet of 730 single and double-deck buses.
Colin Barnes, engineering director at Lothian, said: “Michelin fully understands the needs of our business so renewing this partnership was a simple decision. Having a fixed cost per mile and the expertise of Michelin on board allows us to manage our entire fleet more effectively.”
Lothian is fitting mainly MICHELIN X InCity EV Z 275/70 R22.5 tyres. Designed for electric vehicles but equally suitable for combustion engine powered buses, the multi position tyres offer excellent safety, longevity and load capacity, while helping operators to reduce their environmental footprint by reducing rolling resistance.
All tyres are managed through a multi-life process, which sees them regrooved once the tread depth reaches 3-4mm, helping to extend each casing’s life in its most fuel-efficient state. Once the regrooved tyres have worn, they are retreaded at the Michelin Remix plant in Stoke – a process that saves natural resources, doubles the Michelin casing lifespan and supports UK manufacturing. This process ties in perfectly with Lothian’s own environmental targets by extracting the maximum performance from every tyre on its fleet.
The operator also specifies Michelin tyres as original equipment on all new vehicles. This has recently included 35 zero-emission Volvo BZL Electric buses, which are now in full service.
“Our decarbonisation strategy has a massive role to play in reaching local and national government climate change targets to safeguard our environment while bringing wider social, health and economic benefits for the city. Working in partnership with Michelin helps contribute to us meeting this goal,” added Barnes.
Under the terms of the existing ‘Superfit’ policy, Michelin will support the fleet with a team of its own tyre technicians working in-house across Lothian’s five bus garages. Together, they are responsible for fitting all Michelin tyres onto rims, as well as conducting detailed fleet-wide tyre inspections to optimise replacement intervals and both spot and rectify potential issues before they result in downtime.
As part of the new deal, Michelin’s Technical Department have delivered detailed training sessions across Lothian’s depots – focusing on identifying and correctly interpreting cuts and abrasions, in line with DVSA requirements, helping to keep the tyres in service for as long as possible.
