A shared vision on sustainability and a strong, established working relationship has seen Lothian commit to a new three-year contract with Michelin. 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 Lothian’s fleet of 730 single- and double-deck buses. Engineering Director at Lothian Colin Barnes commented: “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, which are designed for electric vehicles but which Michelin says are equally suitable for combustion engine powered buses, providing 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, and which ties in 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, including 35 zero-emission Volvo BZL double-deckers. “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 Colin. Michelin will support the fleet with a team of its own tyre technicians working in-house across Lothian’s five bus depots, where they are responsible for fitting 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 has also delivered detailed training sessions across Lothian’s depots – focusing on identifying and correctly interpreting cuts and abrasions.
