Britain to become a global driverless vehicle centre
Eight projects have been awarded a total of £20 million in funding to research and develop enhanced communication between vehicles and roadside infrastructure or urban information systems, including new ‘talking car technologies’, Business Secretary Sajid Javid announced on a visit to the autonomous vehicles test bed at MIRA in Nuneaton on 1 February 2016. The projects are the first to be funded from the government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund. They range from developing autonomous shuttles to carry visually-impaired passengers using advanced sensors and control systems, to new simulation trials for autonomous pods to increase uptake and improve real-world trials.
Continue ReadingOfficial opening for Trelleborg’s US tyre plant
On 27 January, Trelleborg held a ceremony to inaugurate its first agricultural radial tyre factory in the USA. The official opening followed the start of production at the facility late last year. Production at the US$50 million, 430,000 square foot (40,000 square metre) factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina will be gradually ramped up, with all manufacturing equipment expected to be installed by 2018. Trelleborg anticipates that the project will have created around 150 jobs by this time.
Continue ReadingEuropean Independent Automotive Data Publishers Association ADPA established
Representatives of major independent automotive data publishing companies have joined forces and founded a new European Industry Association in Brussels. Created on 21 January 2016, the European Independent Automotive Data Publishers Association, referred to as ADPA, has been formed to “ensure fair access to automotive data and information and to provide competitive framework conditions for independent data publishers”, according to its founders.
Continue ReadingKumho Tire VP appointed CEO of Kumho Asiana
The Kumho Asiana Group has appointed Kumho Tire vice-present Park Se-chang the group’s chief executive officer. According to a Kumho press release, 40-year old Park, the only son of group chairman Park Sam-koo, will lead Kumho Asiana’s strategic management unit with current CEO Seo Jae-hwan.
Continue ReadingBridgestone alters upper management roles
On 14 October 2015, Bridgestone Corporation announced that its Board of Directors had taken the first step towards updating the companys corporate governance structure by approving the adoption of a new corporate governance structure – the replacement of the ‘Company with Board of Company Auditors’ model, which had been in place since 1993, with a ‘Company with Nominating Committee’ governance model. Today, the company shares that the board has approved the transfer of representatives and directorship candidates in preparation for this switch.
Continue ReadingZenises launches new website
Zenises has launched a new website “designed to accommodate the company’s expanding business activity and showcase its multi-brand tyre brand portfolio”. Zenises.com carries details of the firm’s Z and T brands and introduces the firm’s long-standing association with Westlake passenger and commercial tyres as well as more recent tyre brand additions such as Triangle truck tyres.
Continue ReadingMichelin in talks over Ballymena settlement
Staff representatives and Michelin managers at the French tyre maker’s Ballymena, Northern Ireland truck tyre factory are discussing redundancy packages following the news that the factory is to close in mid-2018. Michelin representatives declined to comment on individual cases, but local press reports suggest particular offers have already been made.
Continue ReadingLanxess to share latest rubber research at Tire Technology Expo
In addition to showcasing its latest tyre industry developments at next month’s Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany, the Tire and Specialty Rubbers (TSR) business unit of specialty chemicals company Lanxess will deliver two presentations on research into potential ways to further optimise tyre rubber compound.
Continue ReadingPlatinum v4 – Caterpillar awards Yokohama’s Onomichi tyre plant
For the fourth year in a row, Yokohama Rubber’s Onomichi plant in Japan has been instrumental in the tyre maker earning Caterpillar’s premier supplier award: Platinum Level Recertification in its Supplier Quality Excellence Process (SQEP). The Onomichi factory produces original equipment and replacement OTR tyres for a wide range of equipment, and supplies the construction and mining machinery manufacturer in a range of countries, including the UK, USA, China and Japan.
Continue ReadingYokohama Rubber opens winter tyre proving ground
A ceremony held on 20 January marked the official opening of Yokohama Rubber’s new winter tyre testing facility in Japan. The ribbon on the Tire Test Center of Hokkaido (TTCH) was cut by a number of dignitaries, including Yokohama Rubber president Hikomitsu Noji and Masahito Nishikawa, mayor of host city Asahikawa.
Continue ReadingOctober-December profits up 20% at MRF Ltd
India’s largest tyre maker, MRF Ltd, has announced its unaudited standalone results for the quarter ending 31 December 2015. The company reports total income of Rs 33786.3 million (£349.9 million) for the period, 2.9 per cent less than the October to December 2014 quarter. Net profit stood at Rs 3881.5 million (£40.2 million) for the quarter, 20.0 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Continue ReadingCooper Tire sets up Brazilian sales office
Cooper Tire & Rubber is interested in expanding its presence in Latin America. Last November the tyre maker signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Argentina’s Fate SAICI, an agreement that initially covers distribution but may be extended to R&D and offtake production, and this month Cooper announced it has established a sales office in São Paulo, Brazil.
Continue ReadingContinental to build new headquarters – towns bid to host facility
Continental has outgrown its headquarters in Hanover, Germany, and is in the process of identifying a suitable site to build a new, larger premises. The city of Hannover has already made Continental an offer in order to keep the tyre maker and automotive industry supplier at home there, however towns in the surrounding region are also attempting to lure the company to a new location so that they may benefit from Conti’s local business taxes.
Continue ReadingBridgestone’s Russian plant – update
The 2016 opening of a Bridgestone tyre production facility in Russia, as reported by Tyrepress.com on 22 January, is the culmination of a joint project agreed upon almost three years ago. On 12 April 2013, Bridgestone Corporation concluded an investment contract with co-investor Mitsubishi Corporation and with the Ulyanovsk Oblast government and Ulyanovsk Region Development Corporation, to build a ¥37.5 billion (£221 million) passenger car radial tyre plant in the Zavolzhye Industrial Zone in Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia.
Continue ReadingUK car manufacturing at 10-year high
In 2015 the British car manufacturing industry made more cars than any year since 2005 when 1,595,697 vehicles were produced, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Data released on 21 January shows that production increased 3.9 per cent on 2014, with output at 1,587,677 overtaking pre-recession levels for the first time.
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