With petrol prices forever on the increase, and the demand for better MPG and lower emissions on vehicle manufacturers higher than it has ever ever been, it's no surprise all the premium tyre manufacturers are working constantly to reduce the rolling resistance of their tyres, without sacrificing other areas of performance such as wet grip, tread life and noise. A tyre contributes 20% of the overall rolling resistance to a vehicle, meaning one fuel tank in 5 is used purely moving the tyres.
Michelin first started developing low rolling resistance tyres over 20 years ago with the Michelin Energy MXT in 1992, and their latest tyre, the Michelin Energy Saver+ is the 5th generation of low rolling resistance tyres to be developed by Michelin.
Continuing from the award winning Michelin Energy Saver, the Michelin Energy Saver+ introduces a new compound, a new optimised footprint for a 10% larger contact patch and a new internal layer to control heat generation and further improve rolling resistance. These new technologies, when combined with the excellent base of the Energy Saver should mean a tyre with excellent rolling resistance, wet and dry grip and as with every Michelin tyre, class leading longevity
The Proof
While new tyre technologies are always nice to read about, the real proof is in real world tests. To prove the new Energy Saver+ Michelin contracted the independent body Dekra to run a unique real world test, driving 30,000km across Europe in identical cars with the new tyre, and competitors tyres fitted to highlight tread wear, wet braking and overall fuel consumption. Here's a short video showing the extremely thorough testing methodology.The Result
The test used a number of identical VW Golf 1.6 TFI wearing 195/65 R15 tyres, and compared the new Energy Saver+ to the Continental Eco Contact 3, Bridgestone Ectopica EP150, Goodyear EfficientGrip and Pirelli P1 Cinturato.The test found the Michelin had the best wear, the best fuel consumption and the best wet braking after 18,000kms. While other tyres could get close to the Michelin Energy Saver+ in a single test, the new tyre offered an all round performance no other tyre could match.
| Tyre | Wet Braking | Tread life | Extra fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Eco Contact 3 | +1.6m | -11,700 miles | 7l |
| Goodyear EfficientGrip | +2.3m | -9,200km | 24l |
| Bridgestone Ectopica EP150 | +0.6m | -8,300km | 39l |
| Pirelli P1 Cinturato | +0.1m | -8,200km | 14l |
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