Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars remained obscure in comparison with other competitors for the title, such as the "Pioneer Zephyr" and Union Pacific's M-10000. Rubber-tired rail cars achieved greater success in France, and similar rubber-tired subway cars have been adopted in Canada and Mexico as well as on numerous systems in Europe. During the 1920s, the American Budd Company, at the time a relatively obscure auto-frame supplier, developed an extensive working relationship with the French firm Michelin, which was best known for its tires. In 1929, Michelin built its first rail car, and by 1932 nine of its cars were in operating service, all of
Waste tires hefty, thick, and made of multiple materials, scrap tires present distinct challenges in recycling and disposal. In 2007,around 300 million ELTs had been produced in the United States. In 2008 around one billion ELTs were being produced globally each year with an estimated further four billion already in stockpiles and landfills. Global production in 2008 was about 1.5 billion new tires. The U.S. as the largest producer of ELTs alone produced generated 291.8 million tyres in 2009 as estimated by the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association. In 2013, of tires were generated in the U.S. Newer figures (2015) talk about 450