Tire manufacturers are rubbing their hands.
On November 1, the Mountain law will come into force, making it compulsory for vehicles traveling between the beginning of November and the end of March in certain municipalities spread over 48 departments to have equipment adapted to snow.
In this category, the law includes
well-known
“
snow
” or studded
tires
, as well as snow chains or socks.
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But this is the "
four season
tire"
”, Also included in the authorized devices, which should be the big winner. Manufacturers anticipate a significant increase in sales, up to 80% hopefully at Michelin, the world leader in tires. The popularity of this tire was already growing among the French. In 2015, Michelin launched its Cross Climate, the first rubber of this type on the French market. Since then, the model has seen sales increases of 30 to 50% per year. Abrupt changes in the weather, which have taken place repeatedly in recent years, are pushing motorists to opt for tires suitable for all situations. Envious of this success, the other manufacturers (the Italian Pirelli, the American Goodyear, the Japanese Bridgestone and the German Continental) have also released their own models.The Clermont-Ferrand giant responded by releasing its Cross Climate 2 last September.
Higher prices
For Bibendum and his historic rivals, the enthusiasm for the “
four-season
”
tire is
timely. They have thus seen their Chinese competitors inexorably nibble away market share, dropping in just fifteen years from 6% of entry-level tire sales to 25%. To survive this rise of the Chinese, Michelin and the others are now turning to products with higher added value. This is how they started the race for connected tires. Bridgestone, for example, has teamed up with Microsoft to develop a device to monitor tire wear in real time. While waiting for the real take-off of the smart tire, sales of “four-season” tires will boost their results a little.They are sold more expensive than
summer tires.
», With a price sometimes 5% higher.
To justify these prices, the manufacturers highlight the technological know-how shown by these new compounds as well as their greater longevity.
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The horizon is therefore clearing up.
Unless the shortages, already present in many sectors, are also part of the game.
In addition to the strong Chinese demand for rubber, the approximation of the date of November 1 raises fears of a lack of manpower in the garages to fit the tires.
It would only take an early snowfall to see the appointment bookings explode.
