• La Poste [The French postal service] chooses Michelin to equip its delivery vehicles with MICHELIN Uptis puncture-proof tires The MICHELIN Uptis puncture-proof tire will be fitted to 40 La Poste vans in the Hauts-de-France region (North of France) by the end of 2024
• Particularly suited to last mile delivery, the MICHELIN Uptis airless technology removes any risk of punctures and limits the premature changing of tires
• The MICHELIN Uptis tire is currently the only airless tire in the world to travel on open roads, under real conditions

MUMBAI/ PARIS, 29 JUNE, 2023 (GPN): By 2024, nearly 40 La Poste vans fitted with the MICHELIN Uptis^[1] airless tire will deliver letters and parcels in the Lesquin, Valenciennes and Douai sectors, in the Hauts-de-France region (North of France). Three initial vehicles will be put into circulation as of June 27, within the framework of a two-year partnership between La Poste and Michelin, a first in France and Europe – following partnerships already formed in Asia.

The UPTIS prototype is a puncture-proof wheel/tire assembly with no compressed air, intended for cars and light trucks. The compressed air has been replaced by a revolutionary structure capable of supporting the vehicle. This ensures the strength of the assembly and guarantees driving comfort and safety. This is an off-the-peg solution that allows users to drive with peace of mind, without worrying about road hazards.

Thanks to the MICHELIN Uptis tire, which eliminates the problems linked to tire pressure and punctures, La Poste can reduce downtime and maintenance operations on its fleet. It can therefore ensure better continuity of its activities and services. On an environmental level, the elimination of puncture and underinflation problems will allow for reducing the number and frequency of tire replacements, thus limiting any waste.

Michelin’s main target market for the Uptis prototype is light truck fleets intended for professional use, and particularly deliveries.

“We are particularly happy to collaborate with Michelin, whose know-how and innovations have been serving our mobility for more than a century,” stated Philippe Dorge, Deputy Managing Director of the La Poste Group in charge of the Services-Letters-Parcels branch. “We deliver letters and parcels throughout France, 6 days a week, with postmen and women who travel the equivalent of 50 times the circumference of the earth every day. We need reliable vehicles that offer total safety on the road, while limiting our environmental footprint. We are expecting performance and total peace of mind from the revolutionary MICHELIN Uptis tires.” 

“The MICHELIN Uptis tire is a major innovation in the tire sector and is a key step in the development of a fully sustainable tire by 2050. It is the result of some fifty patents in terms of tire structure and high-tech materials. It demonstrates Michelin’s capacity to innovate in favor of a safer mobility that is kinder to the environment. We are delighted that La Poste, the biggest vehicle fleet in France with 50,000 vehicles, i.e., the biggest French company, has chosen the MICHELIN Uptis tire,” declared Bruno De Feraudy, Director of OEM activities for the Michelin Group.

The MICHELIN Uptis tire is currently the only airless tire in the world to travel on open roads, under real conditions, on three continents, having covered almost 3 million kilometers.

Photos and videos available on: https://contentcenter.michelin.com:443/portal/shared-board/ac410b1a-fffe-4b6e-b790-c3cc8df4a5c7­

About the La Poste Group

About La Poste group

La Poste is a state-owned public limited company, a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts and the French State. La Poste group is divided into four business units: Services-Mail-Parcels, Retail Customers and Digital Services, Geopost and La Banque Postale, which, with its subsidiary CNP Assurances, is the 11th largest European banking and insurance company.

La Poste group has four public service missions that shape its identity: universal postal service, regional development, banking accessibility, and press transport and delivery. Committed to its regional coverage, La Poste relies on a delivery network of over 35,600 retail outlets, including 17,300 contact points (post offices, local postal agencies, retail pickup points) and 18,300 points of access to postal services (Pickup, business centres, lockers and the the parcel drive-thru collection service).  La Poste group delivers over 17 billion items worldwide (letters, printed advertising media and parcels), six days a week.

In 2022, La Poste group generated €35.4 billion in revenue (44% outside France) and had a headcount of 238,000, in more than 60 countries over 5 continents, of which 184,000 in France. As a mission-driven company since June 2021 and a leader in environmental transition and sustainable finance, La Poste group aims to achieve “zero net emissions” by 2040. Through its strategic plan “La Poste 2030, committed for you”, the company has set itself the goal of becoming the leading European platform for links and exchanges, providing digital, people-oriented, green and socially-responsible services for the benefit of its customers and the transformation of society as a whole.

About Michelin

Michelin, the leading company in the mobility sector, has the mission of improving its clients’ mobility and sustainability; by designing and distributing the tires best suited to its clients’ needs; by offering digital services, road maps, and guides to enrich their journeys and travel in order to make these unique experiences; and by developing high-tech materials intended for multiple sectors. Based in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin has a presence in 175 countries, numbers 132,200 employees and runs 67 tire manufacturing sites for a total production of approximately 167 million tires in 2022. (www.michelin.com)