Autoblog

The French military may not be fighting in Iraq, but their tires are: Michelin just landed an exclusive $1.7 billion contract with the US Department of Defense to supply the American military behemoth with tires. For the next ten years (at least), every vehicle in the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps deployed around the world will be shod in Michelin rubber.

This isn't the first Pentagon contract Michelin has won, either. The French tire company previously won a contract worth $700 million to supply the tires for all US warplanes. In order to meet the enormous supply demands of the US military, Michelin has invested a reported $16 million. For the sake of our brave boys and girls serving overseas, let's hope the French tires don't throw up their arms and surrender at the first time of trouble. (No whitewalls, please.)

[Source: F1i.com]

Goodyear is adding carbon fiber to its latest generation of Eagle tires. Dubbed 'ResponsEdge Technology with Carbon Fiber,' the company's new shoes match a carbon fiber sidewall ring with a Kevlar overlay and an asymmetrical tread design. According to the company line, the exotic construction enables the tire to offer better ride and all-season capability for sport sedan owners seeking a performance edge.

H and V-rated tires are at tire stockists now, with Z-rated rubber expected later this fall.

[Sources: AutoWeek; media.rin.ru]

The Mazda RX-9 is an advanced concept that came out on top in this year’s Michelin Design Challenge. It’s a hybrid featuring a 2.5L V6 and wafer-thin electric motor, but features a couple of technologies not seen before in the race for higher fuel mileage.

James Owen Design is the one-man firm responsible for penning the vehicle’s shape. The slick skin features electrostatic collectors that can collect electrical charges that build up on the exterior panels while driving through dry air. The electricity is store in capacitors that can then feed the hybrid drivetrain along with the onboard regenerative braking.

What’s more trick are the vehicle’s tires, which feature Electroactive Polymers (E.A.P.) that with varying levels of voltage from the vehicle’s electrical system can actually change the shape and depth of their tread pattern. The rubber donuts can go from flat and smooth to knobby and grippy, or even ride high on their centers for ultra-low rolling resistance.

Follow the jump for further exposition provided by James Owen himself and for additional images. High res images can be found at the above links.

[Source: James Owen Design]

Goodyear Tire & Rubber has announced plans to slash 1,500 jobs in an effort to save $50 million dollars. The world's largest tire company will reach those goals in part by shuttering plants in Britain and Poland.

Part of its restructuring efforts that began last September, the manufacturer will jettison 585 employees at its UK Goodyear Dunlop facility in Washington, and a smaller outpost in Wolverhampton will shed around 40 employees, leaving about 450 workers.

Additionally, Goodyear's Debica, Poland plant will stop making bicycle tires and inner tubes, pink-slipping 360 employees.

The rubber giant says that it expects to incur charges of around $105-115 million USD in the process of exacting the changes.

[Sources: The Australian; Associated Press]