The new agreement will see Michelin supply, fit and manage the tyres across all seven regions of the public transport operator’s business – incorporating a total fleet size of around 4,000 buses nationwide. This includes roughly 1,500 buses, 100 routes and 16 garages that Arriva London operates across the capital on behalf of Transport for London.
With an increasingly large number of electric buses being deployed across its operations, the Arriva UK Bus fleet will be fitted predominantly with Michelin X InCity EV Z tyres. Designed for electric vehicles but equally suitable for combustion engine powered buses, the multi position tyres are said to offer safety, longevity and load capacity, while helping operators to reduce their environmental footprint by reducing rolling resistance. Some of the company’s smaller vehicles will utilise tyres from the Michelin X Multi range.
All tyres will be managed through Michelin’s multi-life policy, helping to minimise the total cost of ownership and boosting sustainability. Michelin’s technicians regroove the tyres 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.
Another important part of the new agreement is the installation of Michelin’s QuickScan technology at five Arriva UK Bus depots. This automated vehicle inspection solution offers data on the health of each tyre, including the tread depth and general wear and tear. The drive over scanner is claimed to work in all weather conditions and reduces the time spent on inspections, helping to improve compliance and save money.
Arriva UK Bus is also trialling Michelin Connected Fleet’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System on 10 vehicles at its Thurmaston depot, in Leicester. When combined with the data from the QuickScan technology, this offers the business key insights, which allows it to monitor, manage and proactively anticipate tyre-related maintenance issues. This also facilitates better scheduling of maintenance and can reduce the incidences of roadside events such as tyre deflations.
