I recently had the opportunity to attend the launch of Michelin’s new X-Ice Snow+ winter tire. It was an incredibly interesting event, with time spent behind the wheel getting a feel for how the new rubber performs in its natural setting - the frozen and snow-covered Mecaglisse proving grounds deep in the Canadian wilderness.
A highlight was sitting down with Michelin’s David Griese, who is the Product Category Manager, Winter, for a podcast chat. His background includes 11 years of designing tires at Michelin, so having him on hand to dive into the details of the X-Ice Snow+ was hugely beneficial.
We discussed the engineering that enables the new the new tire to perform the way it does, the important Ice Braking designation that comes with the X-Ice Snow+, the fact that it is suitable for all vehicle types - including EVs - and how the proliferation of AWD crossovers may be leading to driver overconfidence in the white stuff.
About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender.
