• Michelin’s airless innovation is taking its first steps on the last mile delivery market one year ahead of schedule
  • The airless tire eliminates downtime and the number of tires scrapped due to punctures and reduces maintenance for the DHL fleet

United Arab Emirates: Nearly 50 DHL Express vans will begin running on the Michelin UPTIS[1] airless tire to make last-mile deliveries in Singapore by the end of 2023. The pilot program begins with the first vehicles making the first delivery trips from January 10. Thanks to a partnership between DHL and Michelin, Michelin's airless prototype tire, has taken another step forward. One year ahead of schedule, the very first Michelin UPTIS tires are now marketed in real-world conditions.

The Michelin UPTIS prototype is a puncture-proof wheel/tire assembly with no compressed air and is intended for cars and light vans. The air has been replaced by a revolutionary structure capable of supporting the vehicle. This ensures the wheel’s robustness and guarantees driving comfort and safety. It was designed as a plug-and-play solution that allows users to drive conveniently and not worry about road hazards impacting the tires. It also limits the number of tires scrapped due to punctures.

With the Michelin UPTIS tire, DHL can optimize its fleet’s productivity and ensure business continuity, as tire pressure issues and punctures are eliminated. This will lower the frequency of tire replacement, leading to less wastage.

“As a pioneer in green logistics, we are excited to partner Michelin to trial its airless tires on our vehicles in Singapore. To drive sustainability efforts here, we have since converted 80 vehicles in our ground fleet to electric vans. This collaboration marks another milestone for us as we set out to green our last mile operations and achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the DHL network globally,” says Christopher Ong, Managing Director at DHL Express Singapore.

“Michelin UPTIS is a major breakthrough innovation in the tire field. This is a result of some fifty patents linked to the tire’s structure and high-tech materials. It demonstrates Michelin’s capacity for innovation in favor of safer mobility that is better for the environment. We are delighted that DHL is trusting Michelin to equip its fleet with the very first Michelin UPTIS tires, marketed one year ahead of schedule,” declared Bruno De Feraudy, Director of OEM activities for the Michelin Group.

Airless technology is the key to Michelin’s vision of a fully sustainable tire by 2050. Today, 20% of tires are scrapped prematurely due to flats and blowouts (12%) or irregular wear and tear caused by poor tire pressure (8%). Based on internal research[2], Michelin projects that UPTIS airless technology could prevent premature scrapping of up to 200 million tires a year worldwide or 2 million tons of material – a material savings roughly equivalent to the weight of 200 Eiffel Towers.

-Ends-

For further information, please contact: 
Michelin  
Hiranmay Choudhury 
hiranmay.choudhury@michelin.com 
House of Comms  
Michelin@houseofcomms.com 
DHL Express Singapore Corporate Communications
Evelyn Lim
E-mail: evelyn.lim@dhl.com
On the Internet: https://www.dhl.com/sg-en/home.html

About Michelin

Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 177 countries, has 124,760 employees and operates 68 tire production facilities which together produced around 173 million tires in 2021. (www.michelin.com)

DHL – The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 81 billion euros in 2021. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.

[1] UPTIS: Unique Puncture-proof Tire System, an airless tire developed in association with Maxion, the supplier of a specific rim for the UPTIS tire
[2] Derived from Michelin’s in-house “scrapyard” survey (2012–2015), based on a sample of 135.000 tires and extrapolated on a global scale (estimates indicate that 1 billion tires are discarded each year).