La Poste equips its fleet with puncture-proof Michelin tires

In 2024, 40 La Poste utility vehicles equipped with Michelin Uptis airless tires will make deliveries in Hauts-de-France.

The first three vehicles have already been put into circulation on June 27, 2023, as part of a two-year partnership between La Poste and Michelin, a first in France and Europe – after already established partnerships in Asia. The UPTIS prototype is a puncture-proof wheel/tire assembly, without compressed air, designed for cars and light utility vehicles. Compressed air has been replaced with a revolutionary structure capable of supporting the vehicle. This structure ensures the robustness of the entire system and guarantees comfort and safety during driving. It is a ready-to-use solution that allows users to drive with peace of mind, without worrying about road hazards.

Thanks to the MICHELIN Uptis tire, which eliminates problems of poor pressure and punctures, La Poste will be able to reduce downtime and maintenance operations for its fleet. This will enable better continuity of its activities and services.

From an environmental perspective, eliminating issues of punctures and under-inflation will help reduce the number and frequency of tire replacements, thereby limiting waste.

With the Uptis prototype, Michelin primarily targets the market for light utility vehicle fleets intended for professional use, especially delivery operations. “We are particularly pleased to collaborate with Michelin, whose expertise and innovations have been serving our mobility for over a century,” says Philippe Dorge, Deputy General Manager of La Poste group in charge of the Services-
Mail-Parcels division. “We deliver mail and parcels throughout France 6 days a week, with postal workers covering the equivalent of 50 times around the Earth each day. We need reliable vehicles that offer perfect safety on the road while minimizing our environmental footprint. We expect the revolutionary MICHELIN Uptis tires to deliver performance and peace of mind.”

“The MICHELIN Uptis tire is a major innovation in the tire industry and a key step towards developing a fully sustainable tire by 2050. It is the result of about fifty patents related to tire structure and high-tech materials. It demonstrates Michelin’s ability to innovate for safer mobility and greater environmental respect. We are delighted that La Poste, one of the largest fleets in France with 50,000 vehicles, is the first French company to choose the MICHELIN Uptis tire,” states Bruno De Feraudy, Director of Original Equipment Activities at Group Michelin. The MICHELIN Uptis tire is currently the only airless tire in the world to operate on open roads in real conditions, across three continents, with nearly 3 million kilometers driven.

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