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Company car managers should rethink run-flat tyres

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Andy Williams, Alphabet

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30 October 2014

changing, a, tyre
Run-flat tyres are perfect for SME businesses, where downtime means jobs don’t get done

Alphabet’s operational services manager, Andy Williams, believes the new Michelin ZP range has none of the problems of previous generations of run-flats, but all of the benefits.

He said: “I have tried Michelin’s new Zero Pressure (ZP) range and trust me, you can’t tell the difference from standard tyres.

“Yes, there have been critics of run-flat tyres in the past, but Michelin has answered all of them. It is high time fleet managers start to embrace the new technology as it has so much to offer.

“No driver wants to be stuck at the side of the road, or worse still a motorway, with a flat tyre. For small businesses with company cars, it’s even more problematic as that downtime can mean the day job doesn’t get done. More importantly, the duty of care benefit is significant.”

Michelin’s head of fleet sales Andy Fern says the manufacturer has ensured a strong level of supply and competitive pricing for the new tyres because of the increasing domination of German cars in fleets across the UK.

He said: “At one time it wasn’t clear whether or not German car manufacturers were going to continue using run-flats but they are now favouring them as original equipment in increasing numbers, so their proliferation across UK fleets is only going to rise.

“Where the market share was once driven by BMW, now Mercedes and Audi are turning to them as well.

“It makes sense from the manufacturer’s point of view. There are cost, space and weight benefits for any vehicle that doesn’t need to carry a spare tyre. And where run-flats were once thought of as a compromise, that’s no longer the case.

“We listened to feedback on our previous generation of run-flat tyres, invested heavily in research and development, worked alongside the manufacturers, and we are proud of the results we have been able to achieve.”

He added: “The impact for business managers of company cars is really significant because run-flats really do help firms with their duty-of-care obligation.

“The fact company car users can drive their vehicle to a safe place for the tyre to be replaced is so valuable, not least because so few people are able to change a tyre themselves these days. And the fact the tyre pressure monitoring system will alert drivers to any loss in tyre pressure will also reduce tyre-related downtime.”

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