International News
Saudi Arabia investing US$2 billion in solar/carbon black complex
Saudi Arabia is planning to develop a $2 billion solar and carbon black integrated complex in partnership with China’s Longi and South Korea’s OCI, according to various news reports from the area.
China establishing rubber Free Trade Zone in Sri Lanka
China has begun establishing a rubber Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Sri Lanka. The arrangement will help promote the country’s rubber industry and boost sector earnings. In return, China is asking for long-term access to lands and tax concessions, according to various media reports.
Ronal enters anniversary year
The Ronal Group is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. This special anniversary is being celebrated at all sites around the world with different actions. The 8,000 and more employees who are passionately involved and play a significant part in the company’s success lie at the heart of all activities.
Toyo partners European Athletics Indoor Championships 2019
Following their successful participation in the European Athletics Championships in Berlin, Toyo Tires have extended their partnership to their next premier event, the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. The 35th edition of the European Indoor Championships, taking place from March 1 to 3, are the pinnacle of this year’s European Athletics program. Elite athletes have the chance to compete in the most important European Athletics event in 2019 and become the new European Indoor Champion. More than 600 athletes from 50 nations will participate at the Emirates Arena.
Bridgestone EMEA and Iris Capital announce innovation partnership
Bridgestone Europe NV, Bridgestone’s EMEA subsidiary and Iris Capital, a leading European venture capital firm, have entered a corporate venture partnership to investigate and invest in innovative new mobility services, industry 4.0 and digital transformation technologies across Europe, the Middle-East and Africa.
Young drivers are more familiar with emojis than tyre warning lights
Research conducted in the USA and commissioned by Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires found that while 88 per cent of young drivers can correctly identify the eye-roll emoji, only 51 per cent recognized the TPMS warning symbol.
Conti pioneers driverless tyre tests
Continental commissioned the first driverless tyre test vehicle for a wide range of road surface types at its Ulvade, Texas test track on 19 December 2018. The aim is to make the test results for Continental's passenger and light truck tyres more conclusive and minimize the impact of the test procedure on the results. The new test vehicle is based on Continental's automated Cruising Chauffeur, which was developed for freeways.
Expeditions7 crosses Greenland glacier on Nokian Hakkapeliitta tyres
Icelandic-American expedition team Expeditions7 when drove from the southern coast of Greenland to the land’s northernmost spot and back. One of the team’s special vehicles built by Arctic Trucks was equipped with Nokian Hakkapeliitta 44 tyres, which are tailored what the Finnish tyre maker calls “real winter”. On the slowest legs of the journey, the vehicles could only manage 10 kilometres per hour and the lowest recorded temperatures were -40 degrees Celsius!
VW and Ford establish van/EV partnership
Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Company have will partner in the production of light commercial vehicles after announcing the first formal agreements in “a broad alliance”. The alliance does not involve cross-ownership between the two companies.
Goodyear shares fall 12% after trading update
Goodyear’s share price fell 12 per cent after the company published a trading update with the US stock market Securities and Exchange Commission ahead of Detroit Motor Show presentation scheduled for 15-16 January 2019.
Titan receives additional settlement put option notice
Titan International, Inc. has received an additional settlement put option notice From OEP 11 COÖPERATIEF U.A. (OEP), an affiliate of One Equity Partners, one of the three shareholders of Voltyre-Prom, of its exercise, effective 8 January 2019, of the settlement put option with respect to its holdings in Voltyre-Prom, pursuant to the Voltyre-Prom Shareholders' Agreement.
Reinhard Klant to head Conti’s earthmover tyre product line
Continental has appointed Reinhard Klant as the new Earthmoving product line manager for Commercial Specialty Tires (CST).
Guy Heywood named Hankook Tire Europe truck tyre marketing director
Hankook Tire Europe has appointed Guy Heywood as the new marketing and strategy director for its European truck and bus business. Heywood has 20 years of experience in the tyre industry in leadership positions, most recently active as the commercial director for Michelin UK and Truck, Bus and Service director for the company’s North Europe area. Heywood is taking over from Seok Yun Kim who relocated to Hankook’s organisation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he has become managing director.
DuPont increases Zytel and Crastin prices
DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers has announced that it will increase the prices of its DuPont Zytel products by the equivalent of $400 per metric tonne and DuPont Crastin products by the equivalent of $200 per metric tonne.