Michelin and Maxion Wheels Receive 2018 CLEPA Innovation Award for Cooperation
Michelin, one of the world’s largest tire makers and Maxion Wheels, the world’s largest wheel manufacturer, received a 2018 CLEPA Innovation Award at this year’s European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) Innovation Award program. The jury recognized the two companies’ joint innovation efforts that resulted in the latest wheel invention, the ACORUS Flexible Wheel, with third place in the “Cooperation” category during the June 13, 2018 award ceremony.
Pieter Klinkers, Chief Executive Officer of Maxion Wheels, who accepted the award on behalf of the two companies had this to say, “The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation and collaboration is key to success in this fast-moving business environment. It not only strengthens and accelerates innovation, it enhances our knowledge and expertise. The ACORUS Flexible Wheel is the result of two global
leaders pooling their know-how to deploy the MICHELIN ACORUS Technology into an innovative product for the passenger car market.”
Vincent Rousset-Rouvière, Executive Vice-President of the Original Equipment business line for passenger car tires at Michelin added, “Very early into the project, it became clear that we had to work together with Maxion Wheels and their wheel expertise, to bring this technology to the market quickly.”
Introduced at the IAA Cars 2017 in Frankfurt, Germany, the ACORUS Flexible Wheel is a newly designed wheel-tire combination built to withstand tough road conditions and keep drivers and passengers safe. The patented new technology incorporates two flexible rubber flanges mounted on a special wheel body to create a flexible wheel that improves driving comfort and absorbs impacts from potholes and curbs.
In addition to damage reduction, safety and improved mobility, the ACORUS Flexible Wheel has further benefits for the driver. While improving both comfort and noise levels, there is also an environmental benefit in using MICHELIN ACORUS Technology; the Flexible Wheel is designed to work with any brand of tire, including low rolling resistance tires – meaning lower CO2 emissions and better fuel economy. The innovative wheel solution also means fewer damaged tires and wheels are being thrown away following pothole damage.
The CLEPA Innovation Awards, organised in cooperation with Deloitte and with the support of the Dutch member RAI, celebrate outstanding achievements in the European automotive supply industry in the fields of Environment, Safety, Connectivity and Automation and Cooperation. For the first time, a special prize was awarded in each category to SMEs, acknowledging the important contribution of small and mid-sized companies to the industry’s resourcefulness, ingenuity and competitiveness.
For more information, please visit: https://clepa.eu/events/201806-clepa-innovation-awards/
Über den Europäischen Verband der Automobilzulieferer (CLEPA)
CLEPA ist der europäische Verband der Automobilzulieferer. Er vertritt über 3.000 Unternehmen, die modernste Komponenten und innovative Technologien für eine sichere, intelligente und nachhaltige Mobilität liefern und jährlich über 20 Milliarden Euro in Forschung und Entwicklung investieren.
Die Automobilzulieferer in Europa beschäftigen fast fünf Millionen Menschen auf dem gesamten Kontinent. CLEPA hat seinen Sitz in Brüssel, Belgien, und wird von den europäischen Institutionen, den Vereinten Nationen und anderen Verbänden (ACEA, JAMA, MEMA usw.) als natürlicher Gesprächspartner anerkannt.
Über Michelin
Michelin, das führende Reifenunternehmen, hat es sich zur Aufgabe gemacht, die Mobilität seiner Kunden nachhaltig zu verbessern, die am besten geeigneten Reifen, Dienstleistungen und Lösungen für die Bedürfnisse seiner Kunden zu entwickeln und zu vertreiben, digitale Dienstleistungen, Karten und Leitfäden bereitzustellen, um Reisen zu bereichern und zu einzigartigen Erlebnissen zu machen, und hochtechnologische Materialien für die Mobilitätsbranche zu entwickeln.
Michelin mit Hauptsitz in Clermont-Ferrand, Frankreich, ist in 171 Ländern vertreten, beschäftigt mehr als 114.000 Mitarbeiter und betreibt 70 Produktionsstätten in 17 Ländern, die im Jahr 2017 zusammen rund 190 Millionen Reifen produzierten(www.michelin.com).