Pictured above: Michelin drivers with left to right the
Stoke team, the Dundee duo in the centre of the picture and the
Ballymena team on the right of the picture
A team from Michelin's Stoke-on-Trent HQ showcased their
eco-driving skills by taking part in the annual MPG Marathon.
Michelin staff Barry Gratton and Roland Manley took to the
road in Peugeot 308 Millesim Hdi cars, fitted with Michelin Energy
Saver tyres, for the annual MPG Marathon driving challenge, which
tests fuel efficient driving, at the event based around
Stratford-upon-Avon,Warwickshire. Joined on the road by rival teams
from Michelin's Ballymena and Dundee sites, the Stoke duo took the
bronze medal position among the competing Michelin teams as
they secured a respectable seventh place overall with an event
score of 79.74 miles per gallon - just a few places behind the
overall fourth place of the Michelin Dundee team and one place
behind the Michelin Ballymena team.
The Michelin teams were part of a 34 strong set of car and van
teams involved in the two day driving challenge, which this year
enjoyed its tenth year anniversary. The 380 mile circuit for the
MPG Marathon took in Stratford,Aylesbury,Bicester and
Witney,Oxfordshire with participating vehicles split into passenger
car and light commercial vehicles and different vehicle type
categories, with prizes for the specific classes.
Peter Marsh, Michelin's Stoke Factory Manager, said: "The
MPG Marathon is an excellent way to showcase the importance of how
a few simple changes to driving style coupled with the right
technology can vastly improve the fuel efficiency performance of a
vehicle. It's great this year that we had teams from all three UK
Michelin sites taking part and although we didn't quite secure the
Michelin top team bragging rights, it was a great effort by our
Stoke duo to finish in the top ten teams overall."
The MPG Marathon, organised by FleetWorld magazine, sets a
number of fuel and performance efficiency challenges to drivers
including improving upon the published "combined cycle" fuel
consumption figures of their vehicles. There is also the prize for
the best outright fuel consumption and the best percentage
improvement which is aimed at showing that even the less fuel
efficient vehicles, if driven smartly can return an improved fuel
performance.
The Energy Saver is Michelin's latest generation of green tyres,
and promises to cut rolling resistance,improve fuel consumption and
reduce the amount of CO2 emitted during driving. The Michelin
Dundee factory produces millions of the Michelin Energy Saver tyres
each year and the Baldovie Road site remains Scotland's only tyre
manufacturer.