Bridgestone to help Volkswagen ID. R in Nürburgring lap record bid

Bridgestone is supplying Potenza branded slick tyres as a new chapter in its Volkswagen supply partnership begins at the Green Hell of the Nürburgring. Volkswagen’s electric ID. R will aim to beat the lap record for electric vehicles on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in summer 2019. Bridgestone is a long-term original equipment tyre supplier for the firm’s production vehicles, and the new deal sees the companies expand their partnership into motorsport. The ID. R is the racing forerunner to the new ID. product family – Volkswagen’s wide range of purely electric vehicles to be launched from 2020.

Honda closes Swindon car factory

Following media reports the day before, on 19 February Honda confirmed it will close its Swindon car manufacturing facility with the loss of around 3500 jobs. According to Honda, the closure forms part of wider global restructuring plans. Honda also said the news comes as the Japanese firm “accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry”.

Pirelli 2019 Formula 1 tyres – what’s new?

Pirelli’s ninth consecutive season as the exclusive tyre supplier to Formula 1 sees the manufacturer make several changes to its tyre range. This isn’t new – Pirelli has changed its tyres somewhat every season – but the changes to this year’s compounds, making their debut on the 2019 cars in Barcelona this week, offer a few more fundamental differences than we have recently come to expect.

Expert questions tyre role in marine pollution claims

Professor Richard Thompson OBE, who leads the International Marine Research Unit at the University of Plymouth, has questioned claims made by the Marine Conservation Society relating the role played by tyre wear in marine microplastic pollution.

Engineers working on £120 million Fort William alloy wheel factory

On 5 February plans to make Fort William a UK alloy wheel centre of excellence reached another milestone as ground engineers moved onto the site earmarked for Liberty’s flagship factory.

According to the company, the technical team moved in with their rigs and excavators for six weeks of in-depth ground investigations which will provide vital information for the design of foundations for the planned plant that is intended to manufacture wheels for at least a fifth of all UK-made cars from 2022 onwards.