
GSF Car Parts completes Birmingham head office upgrade
GSF Car Parts has upgraded its retail store and counter at its Birmingham head office. The company said the upgrade provides improved access to the company’s extensive range of trade-level quality parts and consumables for local motorists. The company said the move was necessitated by growing queues; the new store area is more than twice the size, enabling staff to provide better, faster service to customers.
Continue ReadingGerman marques to recall 600,000 cars due to emissions
Several online sources are reporting that a number of German car manufacturers are planning to recall large numbers of vehicles as part of the ongoing vehicle emissions scandal. Sources suggest Mercedes, Opel and Porsche as well as Volkswagen and its Audi brand are to recall certain diesel vehicles. BBC news reports that over 600,000 cars are set to be recalled, citing German media reports.
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Daimler share price hit after emissions investigation news
Daimler AG has confirmed that it is conducting an “internal investigation regarding its certification process related to exhaust emissions in the United States”. This action follows a request from the US Department of Justice (DOJ). As a result the company says it will “investigate possible indications of irregularities and of course take all necessary actions.”
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Hankook talks OE tyre development for Europe, presents Ventus Prime³
The choice of Hungary, home of its European manufacturing base, as the location for this month’s ‘Ventus Experience’ media event underlines Hankook Tire’s growing focus on original equipment supply within the region. In addition to introducing the Ventus Prime³ comfort tyre, during the event Hankook Tire showed the fruits of recent investment in its factory in Rácalmás, and shared how the facility is helping it meet the requirements of European vehicle manufacturers.
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Z Tyre launches flat-rate tyre subscription model in Germany
Z Tyre has launched a new concept in car tyre retail, which it believes “could represent an exciting and substantial commercial shift for the tyre trade.” The Z Tyre Flat Rate subscription, available from 4.99 euros per month, is designed to cover all new tyre related costs, allowing the customer to fit or upgrade tyres using a small monthly subscription. The initiative aims to answer common complaints of motorists purchasing tyres – a high initial one-off cost for a distress purchase, which can often mean reduced opportunities to sell based on aesthetics, performance or expert recommendation – and the unpredictability of cash-flow for the retailer.
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Mexico: Pirelli to build second tyre factory
Pirelli has announced a US$200 million investment in Mexico to establish a second factory near its existing passenger car tyre plant in Silao, Guanajuato state. The project to build the facility was announced during yesterday’s visit by Italian Prime Minster, Matteo Renzi, to Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, where he met with President of Mexico, Pena Nieto.
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Oak Tyres quadruples Manchester warehouse capacity with new site
Merseyside-based tyre wholesaler and company behind the Davanti private brand, Oak Tyres, has relocated to a new and larger facility in Manchester. The new warehouse in Trafford Park is located not far from Oak Tyres’ existing facility and quadruples the company’s capacity in the Greater Manchester area. As well as providing the wholesaler with additional capacity, 20 new jobs have been created through the project. The new warehouse opens in early May and is expected to help Oak Tyres to increase its market share across the Northwest of England.
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How excessive tyre pressure can deflate share price
A simple “trick” – or perhaps we should say “cheating” or “fraud” – has been common practice in the European automotive industry, to the displeasure of environmental organisations: Place a car with excessive tyre pressure on a dynamometer and – voilà – lower fuel consumption levels and emissions are recorded thanks to the ‘optimised’ rolling resistance. Mitsubishi has conceded carrying out this practice in Japan with test data submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. This time round it doesn’t affect, as in the case of Volkswagen and its ‘cheat’ software, millions of vehicles, rather ‘only’ 625,000 small cars, the majority of these off-take production for Nissan.
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Euro Car Parts opens Warwick branch
Euro Car Parts (ECP) has opened a new 10,000sqft (929 sqm) branch in Warwick as it continues its UK expansion.
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Full force in all segments: Heuver Tyrewholesale & its renewed focus on agricultural tyres
It is now half a century since Mans Heuver entered the tyre business, swapping his job as truck driver for that of tyre dealer and opening a small shop in Den Ham, the Netherlands. Over time he and his two sons, Jan and Bertus, transformed this business into a large wholesale operation bearing their name, Heuver Tyrewholesale. But while the company is looking back on its history throughout the course of this year, Heuver Tyrewholesale is also looking forward to the future. This year sees the wholesaler renew its focus on the agricultural market and increase its efforts with OEM partners.
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Under its ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ the government of China aims to redirect overproduction within certain key industries to other countries, particularly those in Eurasia, and one project being set up in response to this strategy is about to begin in South Asia. The Jamuna Group, a Bangladesh-based private enterprise active in a number of sectors, is establishing a tyre factory within the country with technical assistance from companies belonging to state-owned chemical firm China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina).
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Psy joins Kumho Tire on ‘Good Day’ video
It’s almost four years since Gangnam Style fever swept the world and Psy enthused us with his catchy lyrics and equestrian dance moves. The South Korean performer still enjoys a strong following, particularly in his homeland, and Kumho Tire has capitalised on Psy’s popularity by collaborating with him to produce a new music video commercial. The result of this joint effort has now been released.
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Pro-Align Ireland opens
Wheel alignment equipment specialist Pro-Align has opened its inaugural facility in Ireland. Located in Plato Park, Dublin (just off the M50), the facility provides a new base for its sales, servicing and installation teams, and includes demonstration and training areas which allow the company to demonstrate the Hunter range of complete wheel servicing equipment to workshops.
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Triangle Tyre joins the “63-inch” club
The 63-inch OTR radial is a standard fitment on many large mining vehicles, yet the limited customer base for these behemoths and the complexities involved in their production means only a handful of tyre makers deal with this particular tyre size. The list of 63-inch OTR tyre manufacturers may be a short one, but one further name has now been added – Triangle.
Continue ReadingAutopromotec 2017 considering Korean options
Autopromotec’s organisers have flown to South Korea, the worlds fifth ranked auto industry, ahead of the 27th edition of the automotive parts exhibition of which tyres play a key part. The party, led by Emanuele Vicentini, Autopromotec Brand Manager, went to South Korea in March as part of the “Missioni di Sistema” program promoted by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the ICE - Italian Trade Promotion Agency. South Korea makes 4.5 million vehicles annually and Hankook, Kumho and Nexen are all based there.
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