French tyremaker Michelin is the latest in India, after Continental, to introduce commercial vehicle radial tyres.

The new XDE 3 HD series, the company says, is a radial designed to deliver better mileage, fuel efficiency, longer treadlife and durability. It is designed to meet tough driving conditions of Indian roads and has been engineered using Michelin Total Performance, its technology strategy to develop tyres that are capable of simultaneously delivering superior levels of performance across the safety, fuel efficiency, grip, longevity and durability parameters. The XDE3 HD comes with a block pattern design with higher tread depth for increased mileage. For enhanced retreadability and improved crown impact resistance, it has a new casing design with additional crown ply and bigger bead. A new and undertread compound profile also helps reduce rolling resistance for improved fuel efficiency. 

Speaking at the tyre’s launch yesterday, Thomas Clark, managing director, Michelin India, said, “Michelin is committed to bringing world-class products to Indian customers. Following the success of the recently launched XZY3 HD, this new XDE 3HD is targeted for national highway applications in India. We are confident that the XDE 3HD with the industry’s best combination of fuel savings, mileage and longevity will benefit both fleets and independent operators.”
The XDE 3 is available at Michelin India’s authorised dealers across the country.

Tyre radialisation in the CV market is India is still low. Sensing an opportunity for growth in what is a huge potential market, multinational tyremakers are now making moves to drive growth in this area.