Andrew is an editor for WhatTyre, Tyrepress, and Tyres & Accessories magazine. He has more than a decade of experience in editing, writing, and journalism.
A new version of the Pirelli Scorpion ATR has been designed exclusively for the latest Ford models, the Bronco Sport and Maverick. The fitments, designed to enhance the new SUV and compact truck’s performance, follow Pirelli’s tailor-made tyres for the Ford F-150. The tyre manufacturer has supplied specially developed products to more than fifteen different North American Ford models over the last 20 years.
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The organiser of Automechanika Birmingham and auto:resource has launched The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event. The event targets training, technology, and tools for the garage and bodyshop sector. Messe Frankfurt said the event will “provide a focused opportunity for suppliers and their garage and bodyshop customers to engage, learn and facilitate progress, as we seek to adapt to the rapidly changing nature of the industry.” It said the event is a response to market demand, following a survey of more than 300 garages and consultation with suppliers.
Typically a quiet month like the car market, August 2021 was the second-best on record, with 20,582 new van registrations, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders figures show. In the year to date the uptake of new vans is up 2.6 per cent on the pre-pandemic five-year average (although down -4.0 per cent on the same period in 2019). Despite a drop in sales in certain sectors of the light commercial vehicle market, vans have largely maintained good figures throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, an effect of booming last-mile delivery and mobile services. Several segments are currently enjoying the market entrance of new zero-emission and specialist models. Despite this buoyancy, the SMMT warned that the semi-conductor shortage is looming over the sector and is already affecting production and throttling new van sales.
The Motor Ombudsman has launched its 2021 Garage Star Awards. The awards follow a successful inaugural 2020 recognition programme, which attracted more than 800 online customer nominations for Motor Ombudsman-accredited garages and dealerships across the UK. Cornwall-based Dukes AutoTech was crowned the first national winner. Two new awards have been added to the scheme for 2021, with 40 vehicle manufacturers accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s New Car Code and 13 businesses that are part of the Vehicle Warranty Products Code eligible for two separate Customer Service Star Awards.
Michelin has partnered with Stratford-upon-Avon deluxe coffee house and motoring destination Caffeine&Machine on the venues first ever dedicated electric vehicle weekend (25-26 September, 2021). The event will focus on electric vehicles and will welcome visitors who want to view the next wave of automotive innovation, regardless of their current motors.
Demand for electric cars has continued to surge even during a quiet August ahead of the registration plate change. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures show that even as new car registrations fell by -22.0 per cent, demand for battery electric (BEV), hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles rose 32.2, 45.7 and 72.1 per cent respectively. Overall, the UK new car market is up 20.3 per cent versus Covid-hit 2020, though the pandemic remains a blight on the market due in part to chip shortages.
Pirelli has hosted the governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, which hosts one of Pirelli’s most technologically advanced industrial hubs, at its Milan headquarters. Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo discussed the latest $36 million plan, which would bring the tyre manufacturer’s annual production capacity to 7.2 million tyres in Silao, Mexico, with Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice chairman and CEO of Pirelli, and the company’s top management. The governor also visited the Research & Development center and the Fondazione Pirelli. Luigi De Chiara, the Italian ambassador in Mexico, and Carlos Garcia De Alba, the Mexican ambassador in Italy, also participated in the visit.
Giti Tire has launched its new winter tyre on the European aftermarket. The GitiWinterW2 delivers improved dry dynamics, wet braking and aquaplaning resistance, the manufacturer states, while snow and ice grip and traction are maintained from the first edition. The tyre is available initially in 13 car and SUV sizes, including the 10 most popular in the European market, for rims between 15 and 19-inches. Giti adds that extra sizes will be introduced in 2022. The tyre targets a wide range of vehicles, from small and medium cars such as the VW Polo or VW Golf up to premium limousines such as the Mercedes C Class. CUV and SUV sizes are designed to be fitted on popular models like the Nissan Qashqai and VW Tiguan.
80 guests became the first European customers to test drive the new GT Radial SportActive 2 and FE2 at GT Radial’s first Mira Drive and Ride event for almost two years. Potential new dealers, supported by select GT Radial Performance Centre (GTPC) owners, got back on track under Covid secure conditions over two days, during which GT Radial’s exclusive UK distributor over the last decade, Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS), presented the brand’s product portfolio. All attendees were invited to experience high speed circuits in the new BMW 5 Series of Giti Tire’s country manager – UK, Brian McDermott who put his own car on the redline.
Hankook, the exclusive tyre partner of the all-woman W Series since its inaugural 2019 season, will travel to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium to commence the second half of this year’s series. Featuring on the support programme for Formula 1, with which it shares the bill on eight grand prix weekends, the W Series runs on Hankook high-end Ventus Race tyre.
One of the UK’s leading independent vehicle repair groups, Motofix has extended its four-wheel alignment capabilities with a new Hunter wheel aligner, supplied and installed by UK distributor Pro-Align. The Towcester firm recently completed the latest installation at one of Motofix’s repair facilities in Northampton, allowing customers to access premium four-wheel alignment.
Carlton Forest Renewables (formerly known as IRR Waste 2 Energy) has become a member of the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). The company’s Worksop based continuous pyrolysis plant – the first of its kind in the UK – is due to become fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2021. The company said that it pledges its support to the TRA as they work towards a shared goal for the responsible recovery of used tyres.
Landsail Tyres has begun the second year of its partnership with Premier League side Leicester City. The team started strongly with the Foxes lifting the first silverware of the domestic season, the Community Shield as the 2020/21 FA Cup winners beat Premier League champions Manchester City at Wembley. As official tyre partner of the Foxes, this season is the first since Landsail signed to be played in front of capacity crowds.
Leading tyre building machinery manufacturer VMI Holland B.V. has issued a firm rebuke to Safe-Run Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd after the latter issued a press release on 31 July claiming victory in the companies’ ongoing legal dispute. Contrary to Safe-Run’s view, VMI said the Jiangsu High People’s Court of China’s ruling represented “a major defeat for Safe-Run and almost total vindication of VMI’s position.” VMI first announced it had won “a significant lawsuit” against Safe-Run relating to its intellectual property in February 2021. Subsequently, the Netherlands-based firm said the appeal court finalised its judgement that Safe-Run were infringing on VMI’s two key patents relating to tyre building machines. Safe-Run was ordered to stop infringements immediately and pay VMI damages totalling RMB 2.46 million (around 320,000 euros). VMI notes that these payments are “very high [compared] to the average damage awards of around RMB 100,000 in similar cases in China.” Safe-Run’s statement is not currently available.
Automotive aftermarket supplier First Line Ltd has introduced 40 new-to-range products across its Steering and Suspension, Cooling, Cables, and Braking categories. The company said the new additions represent the company’s commitment to update its key product ranges regularly, increasing the speed with which it brings new parts to the aftermarket.
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