Michelin North America showcased its new Michelin Premier All-Season with EverGrip tire to media at the North American International Auto Show this morning.
Michelin emphasized the tire’s ability to deliver safety and said unlike traditional tires, the Michelin Premier A/S maintains its wet traction even when worn. The tire provides consumers with shorter stopping distance, hydroplaning resistance, and increased grip when new and worn, the company said.
“The Michelin Premier A/S tire represents a significant breakthrough in automotive safety,” said Scott Clark, COO of Michelin North America’s passenger and light truck tire division. “With our truly revolutionary advancements in tire technology, we are able to directly address the effects of tire wear on traction and have been able to break the traditional paradigm.”
Three main elements help the tire maintain its wet traction over time and wear, the tiremaker said. The Premier A/S features a proprietary high-traction compound, expanding rain grooves and emerging grooves.
The compound, featuring silica and sunflower oil, provides high traction in wet conditions, and at lower temperatures, the company said. The expanding rain grooves rain gets wider as the tread wears helping the tire clear water even as these rain grooves lose depth.
Finally, the emerging grooves are more than 150 hidden grooves that emerge as the tire wears. These grooves provide additional help in channeling water away and maintaining wet traction, Michelin said.
The Michelin Premier A/S will be available this spring in 32 sizes ranging from 185/65R15 to 245/45R18, and will come with a 60,000-mile warranty.