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MICHELIN INNOVATIONS AT THE MICHELIN CHALLENGE BIBENDUM 2011
22.05.2011
MICHELIN INNOVATIONS AT THE MICHELIN CHALLENGE BIBENDUM 2011
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05/18/2011 |
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The Michelin Challenge Bibendum is the global summit for sustainable mobility. It’s the world’s only event that brings together car and truck makers, academics, equipment manufacturers, energy suppliers, research institutes, public authorities and non-governmental organizations to forge a shared vision of tomorrow’s safer, cleaner transportation.
Held in different locations around the world, the Michelin Challenge Bibendum always addresses specific local issues and problems while remaining focused on the fact that the challenges and different sources of innovation are now global. Presentations and discussions invariably cover such topics as climate, geography, urban density, the availability and use of energy resources, and initiatives to promote road safety. At the 2010 Challenge in Rio de Janeiro, urban congestion, biofuels and the need for infrastructure improvement were among the themes explored. This year’s event - the eleventh Michelin Challenge Bibendum - is being held in Berlin, in the heart of Europe. The auto industry’s birthplace, where Carl Benz filed a patent for the first vehicle powered by an electric ignition engine 125 years ago, this lively, modern city is the perfect place to lay the groundwork for the transportation sector’s future development.
In the current economic environment, shaped by ongoing tensions due to constantly rising fuel costs and environmental pressures to reduce energy consumption, all road users - whether they drive a motorcycle, car or truck, whether they are transport professionals or private individuals - have their own expectations with regard to energy efficiency, safety and environmental protection.
Michelin addresses the new challenges facing sustainable road mobility in two ways:
- First, through the Michelin Challenge Bibendum, the Group brings together all road transport stakeholders that design, develop and deploy solutions intended to make vehicles cleaner and more energy efficient.
In a little less than 30 years, the number of cars on the road worldwide will have doubled to more than 1.5 billion vehicles. This spectacular accelerated growth is a sign of progress in that, for the first time, mobility will be accessible to new users. From a practical standpoint, new mobility beneficiaries will be able to travel farther and more easily, giving them access to resources that were previously unavailable. So there is definitely a link between mobility and modernity to the extent that technical progress and social improvements are interrelated.
The Michelin Challenge Bibendum provides an opportunity to see that these new, emerging mobility solutions will involve vehicles adapted to the different regions of the world. Given the dramatic increase in the number of cars worldwide, it’s easier to understand why energy resource and safety issues must be dealt with immediately – everywhere and by all concerned stakeholders.
- Second, Michelin also plays a direct role in the quest for sustainable mobility solutions. Every Michelin tire or innovation adheres to the same philosophy, which can be summed up in a single phrase:
In every product that Michelin designs, the goal is always to safely transport as many people or goods as possible, as far as possible while consuming as little material as possible.
Michelin’s research and development programs have long focused on these issues, giving the tire maker unrivalled expertise in the area of fuel efficiency. Backed by an annual budget of €500 million, the Group’s R&D teams have developed innovative solutions, even breakthrough technologies, such as the self-repairing tire and In-Wheel Motor assemblies .
These innovations take into account the issue of materials efficiency since the tire plays a crucial role in fuel consumption. In fact, tires are responsible for nearly 20% of the energy consumed to move a car powered by an internal combustion engine and up to 30% for a full electric vehicle in urban use. What’s more, tires are responsible for one tank of fuel consumed out of five for cars powered by internal combustion engines and one out of three for trucks.
The goal is to design tires that help to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining the same high performance in the areas of safety and longevity. That’s why innovation at Michelin is such a powerful force.
Michelin is deeply committed to simultaneously improving tire quality in different areas. And only by combining outstanding performance across the board can road transportation be truly sustainable.
