TIRES Michelin equips Flexy, the SNCF’s new road-rail shuttle The UPTIS prototype represents a fundamental milestone in the Group’s research on airless technologies. It is an airless, puncture-proof tire and wheel assembly designed for cars and light vehicles, which to date is the only airless tire in use on open roads in real-life conditions under a business contract. By year-end 2023, the prototypes in use had covered 4.5 million kilometers. UPTIS helps to optimize delivery fleet productivity by eliminating downtime from flats and reducing inflating and pressure-related maintenance, while guaranteeing the safety of drivers and other road users. Since 2023, the prototype has been trialled on last-kilometer delivery routes with customers such as DHL in Singapore and the French Post Office. The trials are enriching Michelin’s knowledge of airless technologies by enabling extensive analyses and harnessing advanced expertise. UPTIS attests to Michelin’s leadership in airless technologies, thanks to its proficiency in composites and other high-tech materials. It is also a further illustration of how Michelin’s sustainable development model is supporting its ambitious 2050 objectives. Airless technology, for increasingly sustainable mobility In 2024, SNCF plans to trial Flexy, a one-of-a-kind, battery-electric shuttle capable of running on both railway lines and conventional roads, which will help to meet the needs of users living in areas underserved by public transportation. It will carry up to 14 passengers, including the driver, on currently unused train lines, helping to ease the isolation of rural communities. Michelin participated in this unusual project, undertaken with the Railenium Institute in the Movin'On ecosystem, to convert the futuristic shuttle to mixed road-rail use, with the goal of bringing it into service in 2026. Long distance and urban transportation 2023 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT_MICHELIN _19
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