Michelin delivered the 100,000th "green" bus and truck tire to Chinese consumers. Since it introduced its fuel saving tires to China's commercial vehicle market (the world's biggest) in 2006, the French tire maker has made energy conservation and environmental protection a point of pride for its new products.

China's 11th Five-Year Plan calls for cutting energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product up to 20 percent by 2010. Michelin is making its own efforts under the Chinese government's guidelines.

Michelin says that with more than 400 million sold since its European launch in 1992, the green tires represent three-fourths of Michelin sales in Europe. By replacing the carbon black in the tire treads with silica, the green tire guarantees a 3 percent saving on fuel consumption, thereby enabling the tire to maintain the same level of grip while reducing heat loss.