NFDA sees light commercial registrations rise, powered by mid-large vans
Light commercial vehicles’ sales rose 6.3 per cent compared to last year with 15,385 vans and light trucks registered, the latest SMMT commercial vehicle registration figures show. The most significant increase came from mid to large size vans, which grew by over 14 per cent. ‘Pick-ups’ and 4x4 trucks showed a minor growth, while sub 2.0t car-derived vans, often used by self-employed tradespeople, declined -5.2 per cent.
Rosberg prevails in Italy as mix of strategies sees all 3 Pirelli compounds employed
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the Italian Grand Prix from second on the grid using a one-stop strategy – the winning strategy in recent years as well – starting on the P Zero Yellow soft tyre, and then switching to the P Zero medium halfway through the race. His teammate Lewis Hamilton finished second with an identical strategy. The mix of strategies on show is proven by the fact that Rosberg and Hamilton were the only two drivers who qualified in the top 10 to start the race on the soft tyre. Pirelli says this gave them the possibility to drive a longer first stint than the supersoft starters, forming the key strategic battle for the podium.
Bridgestone in a rush to make road safety plea as school bell sounds
With children going back to the classroom and rush-hour traffic resuming, Bridgestone has urged motorists to take extra care on the school-run. The tyre manufacturer said that the latest TyreSafe research suggests that 10 million vehicles could be driven with at least one tyre under the minimum legal limit of 1.6mm. Coupling this with the new school term and an expected spike in traffic and Bridgestone believes that the time has never been more critical to carry out some simple tyre checks – or even drive to a selected garage to get a professional technician to take a look.
The UK new car market achieved modest growth in August, as registrations rose 3.3 per cent against the same month last year, according to figures released by SMMT. 81,640 new cars were registered in the month, with year-to-date performance remaining positive, up 2.8 per cent to 1.68 million units.
Australia is suing the local arm of Volkswagen for allegedly misleading customers by selling modified vehicles that covered up emissions fraud, with its consumer watchdog claiming Volkswagen intentionally sold more than 57,000 such vehicles over a five-year period. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is seeking a public declaration of misconduct, financial penalties and corrective advertising. Volkswagen Australia said it is reviewing the ACCC claims.
This year’s National Franchised Dealers Association Summer 2016 survey, published today, had 1,746 respondents from a total participating dealer network of 4,090, which equates to a response rate of 43 per cent. This is the highest return ever, surpassing last winter’s high of 39 per cent. There were 28 franchise networks in the survey which represent a range of dealer sizes and ownership type from across the UK.
Japanese carmaker Mazda has said it is recalling 2.2 million cars worldwide because of a defect in their tailgates. The recall affects about 400,000 cars in Japan and 1.8 million sold on export markets.
Giti Tire appoints Torsten Gehrmann as new senior managing director – Europe
Giti Tire has appointed Torsten Gehrmann (45) to the new position of senior managing director – Europe. Confirming the departure of former managing director – Europe Corrado Moglia, Gehrmann said, “we thank Corrado for the work he performed for the company.” Since September 2015 Moglia had split the European MD role with Stefan Fischer following the resignation of Richard Lyons. Fischer will continue in his existing position as managing director - Europe for Product Technology and R&D Centre Europe.
Yokohama adding more products to expanding 4×4 range
Yokohama is expanding its range of 4x4 and SUV tyres with the addition of the brand new Geolandar A/T G015. Yokohama has been increasing its presence in the segment with new original equipment deals to go alongside its less aggressive Advan Sport V105 SUV tyre range, fitted by premium brands such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, and the Geolandar SUV G055, chosen by Chrysler for the latest edition of the Jeep Cherokee.
RMI Bodyshops (NAB & VBRA) is urging the government to review its recently released funding levels for the new trailblazer apprenticeships. Jason Moseley, RMI Bodyshops Director commented: “the new funding rates proposed fall concerningly short of those needed to deliver a robust and quality apprenticeship programme. The proposed rates do not cover the funding required for equipment, tools, products and teaching resource to deliver these programmes.
UK drivers lose 37 million finding garages to fix their cars
New research by online car repair marketplace, ClickMechanic, has revealed that every year British motorists lose 893,461,500 hours – that’s more than 37 million days – trying to find a garage or mechanic to fix their car.
With more vehicles on Britain’s roads than ever before it stands to reason that there are more drivers to experience breakdowns and other problems. By the end of March 2016 there were 36.7 million vehicles licensed for use on GB roads – more than 900,000 had registered in that single first quarter of the year alone.
TyreClick, the website developed by Micheldever Tyre Services to help its independent customers compete for online sales, reports that the system has generated £10 million of revenue since its launch. The milestone figure was reached when a motorist placed an order for four 255/40R18 Kumho KU39 tyres with Hucknall Tyre & Exhaust Centre in Nottinghamshire.
Tariff time again, but will they make a difference?
It’s tariff time again. The US government has imposed trade sanctions on US-produced OTR and industrial tyres before. They have done so with car tyres twice before. This time it’s truck tyres. But are they effective? Will they halt the rise of Chinese tyre manufacturers in general? And what does it mean for those doing business with truck tyres in the UK and Europe?
China: US truck tyre anti-dumping tariffs and “abuse of trade measures”
China’s Ministry of Finance and Commerce (MOFCOM) has hit back at the US Department of Commerce’s (DOC) decision to preliminarily introduce anti-dumping tariffs of around 20 per cent on Chinese truck tyres exported to the US. Indeed MOFCOM called the ruling, which is in addition to roughly 20 per cent countervailing duties, an abuse of trade measures on Friday 2 September. Chinese tyre companies strongly oppose the US’s abuse of trade measures, ministry of commerce spokesperson told reports during a briefing in Beijing.
Trelleborg buys International Tyre and Wheel Solutions
Trelleborg’s Trelleborg Wheel Systems business unit has agreed to acquire International Tyre and Wheel Solutions Ltd. (ITWS), the UK-based privately owned distributor of large solid off-the-road (OTR) tyres for the waste, recycling and demolition industries. The acquisition follows and, in Trelleborg’s words, complements the recent acquisition of Mitas and gives the firm access to both the pneumatic and solid tyre markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
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