Andrew is an editor for WhatTyre, Tyrepress, and Tyres & Accessories magazine. He has more than a decade of experience in editing, writing, and journalism.
MWheels has launched its next generation Xlite and Xbrite forged aluminium wheels for rigorous heavy duty application vehicles, including tipping, walking floor, logging and plant trailers. The 11.75 x 22.5 wheel has been redesigned to reduce stress on the disc and flange profiles, with field testing showing a reduction of between 55-66 per cent against previous versions.
The latest National Association of Motor Auctions’ market attitude survey has found that more than 50 per cent of members expect conversion rates to increase in August. “This has been assisted by the volume of vehicles coming though remarketing centres which has meant buyers have had less vehicles to choose from and has in turn increased conversion rates of those vehicles that are available to buy,” said Louise Wallis, head of NAMA.
Some of Britain’s newest and most popular cars are at risk of being stolen in a matter of seconds, because thieves are able to exploit weaknesses in their keyless entry and start systems, according to groundbreaking market intelligence from Britain’s leading consumer champion and new car buying platform, What Car?
CD Auction Group has been appointed to manage Marshall Leasing’s requirement for in life vehicle management of their client’s spare vehicles. Marshall Leasing, which is part of Northridge Finance; a subsidiary of Bank of Ireland UK, operates a fleet of over 8,000 vehicles with a net book value of approximately £100m and following a review of its pool fleet management service, it has opted to outsource the process to CD Auction Group.
Given the changeability of the UK climate, especially during the winter months, tyre manufacturer Maxxis has posed the rhetorical question: why do we fit summer tyres to vehicles in the UK? While the company espouses the advantages of summer tyres, such as more grip, better handling, and shorter stopping distances in the dry, it also questions whether a driver with no specific tyre needs should make all-season tyres their default choice.
Noting the more extreme UK climate, Landsail has built a cold weather range for the market, led by its Landsail 4Seasons all-season tyre, while also providing options for British drivers considering more specialist winter tyres for the first time.
Gridlocked motorways, empty restaurants and a host of other travel related problems were just some of the impacts of the freezing conditions last winter, which were estimated to have cost the UK economy £1bn per day. Given this financial impact, many large fleets and commercial vehicle operators have developed a series of contingency plans designed to mitigate against these losses and keep their operations mobile. But it’s not just big businesses that need to keep moving when the worst of the weather hits. Many families, small and medium sized business owners and their workers require to maintain their full mobility. Whether it’s visiting elderly relatives, trying to keep their company running or not missing out on important work shifts, it is vital for many that harsh weather does not affect their day-to-day lives. Yokohama says its extensive range of all-season and winter tyre products offer a solution, designed for a wide range of passenger car applications.
Giti Tire has developed its GT Radial all-season product range, available in the UK from exclusive distributor Micheldever, off the back of an encouraging run of sales for its initial product for this growth market. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Brian McDermott, country manager UK for Giti Tire, to get the latest on how the manufacturer is shaping its range for the segment, which appears to have gained more of a footing in the UK than specialist winter tyres have previously managed.
Giti Tire has launched the GT Radial Maxmiler Ice, its first studdable van and light truck tyre for extreme European winter conditions, in five sizes – 195/70R15C, 185/75R16C, 205/65R16C, 215/65R16C, 235/65R16C. The range covers the majority of mass-market popular vehicles from the Citroen Berlingo and Toyota HiAce through to the Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter. Load indices range from 104/102 to 121/119.
Turkish tyre manufacturer Petlas has added new sizes to its SH100 and RH100 truck and bus radial tyres to make the patterns suitable for a broader range of vehicles and applications.
Vipal Rubber, one of the world’s top manufacturers of tyre retreading products, has participated in the ProfiAuto Show 2019 (8-9 June in Katowice, Poland) in partnership with exclusive Polish distributor, Arko-Gum. The partnership between the companies, vital in ensuring Vipal provides the most relevant solutions for the Polish market, has been in effect for nine years.
The NTDA has announced the finalists for its 2019 Tyre Industry Awards. The awards, sponsored by tyre manufacturer Sailun, will be presented at the association’s 90th Annual Dinner on Thursday 3 October at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Birmingham. The dinner is sponsored by tyre wholesaler Land Tyre Service, while the awards will be hosted by popular TV comedian Mark Watson. The 2019 finalists include former award winners, finalists, and some new nominees.
SMMT figures show that the UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market rose in July, up 11.0 per cent. The market has grown in every month of 2019, with 25,862 new models registered in July for use on UK roads as operators were enticed by the range of new models and attractive offers on the market.
The UK new car market declined again in July, with 157,198 vehicles leaving showrooms, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Registrations fell by -4.1 per cent, the fifth consecutive month of decline, as political and economic uncertainty and confusion over future government policy on different fuel types continued to knock consumer and business confidence.
Ricardo is to begin manufacture of the latest range of transmission designs for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship 2020. This marks the start of the company’s fourth year of supporting customers in the world-leading all-electric street race competition.
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