Bemenet PLC, the authorised dealer in Ethiopia for Michelin Tyres, has completed preparations to import tubeless truck tyres to the country. Samples of the tubeless tyres were recently displayed at the fourth International Automotive Fair, where Michelin demonstrated the simpler and cheaper tyre design.

Tubeless tyres consist of just two components: the cover and the rim. This makes the system weigh less and cost less to produce. Cost per kilometre is also reduced, with 6 – 8 per cent less fuel consumption than a normal tube tyre. This is due to the increased longevity of the tubeless tyre, which produces less heat than a normal tyre and resists the damage caused by puncture.

Michelin Sales Manager to Ethiopia, Mr. Kishore Namburi, explained the advantages that the tubeless tyre implies to truck owners: “There is a refusal to accept new technology by Ethiopian customers. In Kenya, almost 80 per cent of the trucks use the tubeless tyre. Cost per kilometre is cheaper than tube tyres and consumes from 6-8 per cent less fuel, because it has the ability to travel longer. The tubeless tyre has a low profile, which defines the relation between the tyres section width and cross section height and expressed in percentage, the lowest is the preferable profile.”

Mr. Woizero Hirut Alamerew, Managing Director of Bemenet PLC, stated that the tyre “is easy to fit and remove”. According to tyre tests, the tubeless tyre takes just two minutes to fit or remove during travel, and punctures need not be attended to by a professional. Michelin Tyres has provided a glue product along with the tubeless tyre, which can be used by truck owners to repair punctures.

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