No evidence of tyre or vehicle defects in Goodyear Nürburgring test accident
In response to a request for information from regional public broadcaster SWR, the public prosecutor’s office (Staatswanwaltschaft) in Koblenz, Germany has confirmed that tyre damage caused the accident which claimed the lives of two Goodyear associates at the Nürburgring last August. The office told SWR an expert has established that the right rear tyre was damaged before the fatal collision.
Continue ReadingTop finishers fit Dunlop Geomax in FIM E-Xplorer World Cup for electric racing bikes
Five of the top six riders in the opening round of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) E-Xplorer World Cup in Osaka, Japan fit Dunlop Geomax tyres with Team HRC winning ahead of Robbie Maddison Racing thanks to second-place finishes in the male and female classifications. Jorge Zaragoza of Robbie Maddison Racing topped the male standings, while Sandra Gomez of Inde Racing finished top on the female side of the event. The tyre was developed alongside top MXGP riders, as Wim Van Achter, motorsport manager at Dunlop Motorcycle Europe explains: “Dunlop’s vast range of enduro, trials and motocross tyres meant our teams could really tune the tyre choice to suit their innovative electric race bikes.
Continue ReadingTeam De Rooy demonstrates solid performance at Dakar 2024 with Goodyear tires and TPMS
There was no win for Team De Rooy, equipped with Goodyear Offroad tyres and the tyre supplier’s TPMS, after 14 demanding days across Saudi Arabia in the Dakar 2024 Rally, but the team celebrated a solid performance, showing resilience, skill, and determination. All three Team De Rooy trucks completed all the stages of the challenging course, assisted by the Goodyear Offroad tyres’ traction and durability on challenging terrains. The integration of Goodyear TPMS played an important role in monitoring tyre pressure and temperature in real time, allowing the team to make dynamic adjustments and respond swiftly to evolving road conditions.
Continue ReadingFintyre exits debt proceedings early, signs 20-million-euro loan
Italian tyre distributor Fintyre has concluded its composition proceedings with creditors and cleared its debts 15 months ahead of schedule. Confirming the group’s fiscal solidity the company has also announced closing a 20-million-euro financing transaction with Banco BPM.
Continue ReadingPirelli ready for long, ‘demanding and exciting’ GT racing season
Pirelli will commence its GT racing season with the Bathurst 12-hour race in Australia, the first in a season of 400-plus races in 70 championships on five continents ending in December with the six-hour event in Jeddah. Pirelli will cover these events with a team of more than 200 fitters, engineers and others. The Bathurst opener (16-18 February) is also the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, one Pirelli ranks among the toughest in a year including GT World Championship events in Europe, America, Asia, and Australia; the Macau GP, national and international GT4 series, European GT2, the Ferrari Challenge, the McLaren Trophy and TransAm.
Continue ReadingPirelli extends F1 in Schools partnership to Italy
F1 in Schools is an international STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) competition for school students in which teams work together to design a miniature, compressed air-powered F1 car. The programme originated in the UK a quarter century ago and currently operates in more than 40 countries. Pirelli is a partner of the UK competition and has now announced becoming an Official Partner of F1 in Schools Italy.
Continue ReadingEnviro breaks ground on recycling facility
After several years of planning, Scandinavian Enviro Systems’ recycling facility in Sweden took a further step towards reality yesterday with a groundbreaking ceremony at the plant site in Uddevalla. Enviro, Antin Infrastructure Partners, and Michelin finalised the investment decision for the plant just under a week earlier.
Continue ReadingLinglong debuts 57” tyres
It is only a short while since Linglong Tire began producing 49-inch OTR tyres at its facility in Jilin, China, but these are no longer the largest tyres made there. Linglong has upsized its production portfolio in Jilin by manufacturing the first 57-inch tyres.
Continue ReadingReinventing the Wheel – investment in STARCO’s plant in Croatia
STARCO is undertaking significant investments in digital and green technologies and materials at its steel wheel factory in Croatia. It launched this project in mid-2023, installing a new automated reciprocater paint system that can simultaneously paint a larger number of wheels, thereby more efficiently using the painting line and ovens. Additional equipment will soon join this unit and commence operations within the first half of 2024.
Continue ReadingTyres & Accessories February 2024 issue now available to read online, download
The February issue of Tyres & Accessories Magazine is now available as an e-paper for subscribers to Tyrepress, following the distribution of the print edition. The latest issue includes special features on passenger car tyres and motorcycle and two-wheeler tyres. It also includes in-depth articles and analysis tackling current events and trends in the global tyre industry, such as the latest online tyre brand ranking data, a big acquisition for Bond International in the UK wholesale sector, and comment on the UK government’s decision to retain the frequency of the MOT test. Non-subscribers can gain access to Tyrepress with a print or online subscription, or tyre professionals can take advantage of the current Tyrepress Membership offer, helping to drive business online and stay informed with the industry’s leading magazine and websites.
Continue ReadingUNECE adopts tyre abrasion measuring methodology
On 8 January, the UNECEs World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations endorsed a proposal outlining two methodologies for assessing tyre abrasion within the framework of UN Regulation No. 117. The proposal adopted by the Working Party on Noise and Tyres entails measuring the reduction in tyre weight caused by abrasion, with results quantified in milligrams per kilometre per tonne of load on the tyre.
Continue ReadingR&D, TIP and Alphatread amongst Hankook’s sustainability and retreading achievements
Hankook reports that it “is committed to investing in sustainability across every aspect of a tyre’s life from sourcing sustainable raw materials to R&D focus on materials, product performance and new product developments”. When you add in the production Alphatread-branded retreaded tyres, you can see how Hankook has attained a number of sustainability achievements.
Continue ReadingHigh costs & bureaucratic hurdles – Michelin on Germany factory closures
Germany’s days as an industrial superpower are coming to an end, opined Bloomberg on 10 February. The media firm blames competition from the USA, the energy crisis and declining Chinese interest in German products for this development, but there are further factors to consider. Michelin, which plans to close several plants within the country, suggests that an excess of bureaucracy is contributing to Germany’s unattractiveness as a manufacturing site.
Continue ReadingGoodyear lost $291 million in Q4 2023, but EMEA improvements
Goodyear’s fourth-quarter 2023 sales decreased 4.8 per cent compared to the previous year driven by “the impact of lower replacement volume and lower third-party chemical sales”. That and other factors resulted in a fourth-quarter 2023 net loss of $291 million compared to a net loss of $104 million – 180 per cent worse than the figure a year ago.
Continue ReadingBridgestone plant a ‘Factory of the Future’
Bridgestone Aircraft Tire Europe (BAE) has received a ‘Factory of the Future’ award for its facility in Frameries, Belgium. BAE is one of 17 firms honoured by Digital Wallonie, the Walloon Government’s digital strategy, at a ceremony that took place in Brussels on 8 February.
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