Abellio Bus has signed a new five-year Effitires contract with Michelin Services and Solutions. It will see Michelin supply, fit and manage the tyres across the company’s 800-strong fleet in London and has been secured on the back of a calculation that showed that the contract will help to reduce the operator’s CO2 emissions by more than 900,000kg and raw material usage by 100,000kg, every year.
Michelin will predominantly fit urban bus tyres across the Abellio Bus fleet. That will include the new X InCity EV Z, which is the supplier’s first range specifically designed for electric vehicles. Abellio aims to have 120 such buses in service by early 2022.
All tyres fitted to Abellio Bus vehicles will be managed through a multi-life policy. The supplier’s technicians will regroove worn tyres on site once tread depth reaches 3-4mm, helping to extend each tyre’s life in its most fuel-efficient state.
Once the regrooved tyres have worn, they will be retreaded at the Michelin Remix plant in Stoke-on-Trent. That process, explains Michelin, “saves natural resources, doubles the casing lifespan and supports UK manufacturing.”
Says Abellio Bus Managing Director Jon Eardley: “Michelin provides us with the full package – an excellent product, superb aftersales support and the best technical advice. But what sealed the deal for us this time was Michelin’s commitment to sustainable transport.
“We were invited to a customer centricity event at the factory in Stoke-on-Trent that reinforced the message of Michelin’s 4R strategy: Reduce, reuse, recycle and renew. When we compared the raw materials, oil, CO2 and waste savings that Michelin could offer compared to a tyre policy that does not include the use of Michelin Remix retreads and regrooving, the figures were staggering.”
Adds Michelin Director of Services and Solutions Andrew French: “We have established a great relationship with Abellio since we won back the contract in 2017, and we are delighted that it has chosen to continue our partnership for a further five years.
“The sustainability benefits of our carefully managed contracts are becoming more and more crucial to operators – helping to meet stringent government emissions targets and their own environmental strategies, as we all work together towards a greener and cleaner future for the transport industry.”
