Michelin to End Pax System R&D

Michelin described it as “revolutionary” and “our biggest technological breakthrough since we patented the radial tyre in 1946,” yet news indicates that the French manufacturer is turning its back on the product about which it once said “we haven’t been this proud since we invented the radial.”

The director of research at Michelin’s Technology Center in Ladoux, France is reported to have said that the company has halted further research into its Pax run-flat system as there is “no big market demand” for the product. He added that demand for the Pax was not sufficient to justify the expense of the research invested into it.

Development of the Pax system began in 1997, at which time it was known as the Pav, and Michelin has licensed the tyre-wheel assembly technology to other manufacturers, including Goodyear, Pirelli, Sumitomo, and Toyo. Michelin’s first OE contract for the new technology came on the Renault Scenic in February 2002, and the tyre has also been fitted as original equipment to the Audi A8, Rolls Royce Phantom, Audi A4 and Honda Odyssey.