news

Michelin tyre claims to grip better with age

Michelin has invented a new tyre that it claims grips better with age due to a rubber compound that grows, rather than wears out, over time.


The EverGrip system, the major technological innovation of the new Michelin Premier A/S, was developed by the French tyre maker to reduce stopping distances, increase hydroplaning resistance and increase tyre grip when worn.

A new rain groove pattern has been developed to maintain the amount of water a tyre can evacuate, even as the grooves lose depth due to wear. Because of their geometric design, the grooves are able to expand while flattening, resulting in consistent wet-weather grip throughout the tyre’s life.

Michelin has also introduced an ‘emerging’ groove system for the Premier A/S, capable of improving tyre grip over time. The system reveals more than 150 hidden grooves as the tyre’s first layer wears down and expands, with the emergent grooves providing additional assistance in wet-weather by channelling water away from beneath the tyres.

Michelin claims EverGrip’s final innovation is a new rubber compound with an increased proportion of silica and sunflower oil compared to regular tyres, which it says increases all-weather grip and reduces stopping distances. The amount of silica used provides a bonding strength capable of significantly reducing the likelihood of a car losing grip, while the sunflower oil is intended to allow the tyres to grip wet roads at extremely low temperatures, when a normal tyre might otherwise lose traction.

“The Michelin Premier A/S with EverGrip represents a significant breakthrough in automotive safety,” said Michelin North America COO Scott Clark.

“[EverGrip] is a new safety technology that helps keep the driver in control and the car firmly planted on the road."

The tyre will go on sale in North America in their spring this year.

Chat with us!







Chat with Agent