Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) published the findings of a new research project it undertook with the European Driving Schools Association (EFA) on 27 November. Alongside the research, Goodyear EMEA published a Road Safety White Paper – “Driving Safety First: Improving Road Safety For Novice Drivers”. The White Paper was introduced and discussed at a panel debate of the European Transport Safety Council in Brussels today.
Historically, many fleets have taken a short-term view of their tyre policy and failed to plan ahead. This is particularly the case for fleets facing immediate pressures, as the temptation not to consider three years in the future is strong for operators who are uncertain if they’ll even remain in business that long. Yet short-term savings can prove costlier in the long run, and Michelin opines that fleet operators need to consider their tyre choice in a similar way to their vehicle choice – they need to ensure it is right for the application and vehicle.
TRM, the Marangoni Meccanica division dedicated to the sale and development of retreading machinery, is reporting that its premium “Black Dragon” tyre building machines have pushed the envelope in terms of technology and helped inspire growth in mould cure retreading in general as well. The Black Dragon, purportedly the best machine of its kind available in the market for bead to bead application, is available in two versions: the Black Dragon 90, featuring a rotating twin turret serving a 90mm extruder for tread application and a vertical extruder for sidewall application, and the bigger version Black Dragon 120 (formerly known as Alpha Twin Dual Black Swan), featuring a 120mm extruder for the tread and two sidewall extruders.
Analysts at TechSci Research have published a new report highlighting the growth potential of the South Korean tyre market. According to the report entitled “South Korea Tyre Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018”, the tyre market in South Korea is expected to grow at the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5 per cent between 2013 and 2018 in terms of sales revenue.
Sailun has announced the appointment of Thomas (WookChoon) Jang as the latest tyre developer to join its European head office team in Birmingham. Jang will specialise in the development of products for the Sailun passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyre range.
This year’s Baja 1000 was won by BJ Baldwin, racing for Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. Commenting on his win in the 883.1 mile race held on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, the tyre maker describes Baldwin’s race time of 18:36:10 as “impressive”. Toyo says Baldwin “blazed the course” in a Chevy Silverado Trophy Truck equipped with size 39×13.50 R17 Toyo Open Country off-road tyres.
At the same time as making its initial public appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Dunlop Enasave 100 – the world’s first tyre entirely made from fossil-free materials – has gone on sale in Japan. Sumitomo Rubber Industries shares that the Enasave 100 came onto the market on 22 November; it is initially available in size 195/65R15 91H at a listed retail price of ¥21,105 (£126.50).
Earlier this year Bridgestone Americas reported completing a capacity expansion project at its Aiken County plant in South Carolina. The US$346 million investment increased output of passenger car and light truck radials by 2,750 units a day. Now local media sources state the company is looking to increase its plant workforce; Leslie Wilhite, Bridgestone Americas’ manager of community and corporate relations, is quoted as saying the company is looking to fill 850 corporate and contractor positions, starting in January.
PFC Brakes has been chosen as official brake supplier to Renault Sport Technologies for its new Clio RS R3T rally car. The company’s pads, discs and calipers incorporate innovations, such as piston cap insulators, which reduce temperature transfer to the brake fluid by as much as 55˚C, minimising the risk of boiling the fluid. This should help the brakes to deliver better performance on tarmac and gravel while adhering to stringent cost and technical requirements set for the category.
Decades ago, the advertisement that Bob Jane’s company ran on Australian television claimed ‘not even the tyres can believe the low prices’; now Judge Besanko can’t believe them, either. In the Federal Court of Australia this week he found that the companies Jane established after leaving Bob Jane Corporation have “engaged in conduct that is misleading or deceptive or likely to mislead or deceive,” and infringe on Bob Jane Corporation’s trademark rights. To remedy this, Besanko ruled that Bob Jane may no longer use his own name to sell tyres or related products and services.
Following a spate of cyclist fatalities on the roads of London, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has repeated its call for “more to be done” to improve the safety of cyclists on our streets, in a written submission to the House of Commons Transport Committee’s ‘Cycling safety: follow up’ inquiry.
As of 1 December 2013 Ferdinando Visconti di Modrone takes over responsibility for marketing in Central Europe within Pirelli’s Truck business unit. He succeeds Alain Versace, who will leave Pirelli on 30 November.
Rezulteo has offered the latest chapter in the reception history of European tyre labelling. Following on from research conducted by or on behalf of Goodyear Dunlop, NTDA/Lanxess, Encircle and the French tyre association (Syndicat des professionnels du pneu – SPP) tyre comparison website Rezulteo has weighed in with its own research conducted by the Ipsos Institute.
Toyota GB has launched official Toyota and Lexus parts and accessories eBay stores. According to the company, the e-commerce initiative gives UK customers a new way to source the parts they need, with confidence that they are purchasing the genuine article, direct from Toyota’s central distribution centre in Lutterworth. It is also designed to reach a wider customer base, particularly among owners of older vehicles. Toyota GB is the first of Toyota’s European national marketing and sales companies to launch a full-scale e-commerce programme. It plans to further develop the online stores by introducing “click and collect” and “click and fit” services during 2014.
Tyre compound supplier Lanxess reports that “green Tyres” can reduce fuel consumption of trucks by 8.5 per cent following a road test on truck tyres. Working in partnership with chemical logistics provider Talke, with results the results independently verified by TÜV Rheinland, Lanxess found a fleet of 300 trucks would save £1.3 million a year in fuel costs by using so-called “green tyres”, making rolling resistance a key criterion for carriers when purchasing tyres.
