TyreSafe: 4500 organisations involved in MOT consultation, tyre and brake wear key concerns
TyreSafe was among the 4,500 organisations that responded to the MoT Consultation, which has now concluded, detailing “the significant risks extending the first MoT for vehicles from three years to four or even five”. DVSA figures show the most likely reason for a vehicle, up to six years of age, to fail its MoT is tyre defects. Over 2 million cars fail their MOT each year due to tyre defects with over 1 million classified as ‘dangerous’.
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ZC Rubber increasing Yonggu rubber track capacity
ZC Rubber subsidiary Yonggu is expanding its capacity to produce rubber tracks and other rubber products. On the site of the former Hangzhou Taihong Rubber Track plant in Jiande, in China’s Zhejiang Province, Zhongce Yonggu Rubber (Jiande) Co. will establish a facility that will ultimately have a capacity to make 1 million tracks a year.
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Cho heading Hankook’s PC/LT sales in North America
Hankook Tire America Corp. has announced two changes to its management team. Kyuwang (Ken) Cho is the business’s new Vice President of U.S. PC/LT Sales, with overall responsibility for the market. K.C. Jensen takes on the role of Vice President of PC/LT Sales, focusing on Hankook Tire America’s West region as well as other strategic initiatives.
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NTDA welcomes UK government’s decision to retain MOT gap
The UK’s National Tyre Distributors Association has welcomed the publication of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) response to the extensive consultation on modernising MOT testing for cars, motorbikes and vans. The association was vocal in its opposition to any extension to the current gaps in required MOT tests, namely three years after a new car’s registration and an annual test thereafter. The NTDA said its position was based “primarily on safety grounds, but also based on years of independent statistical information demonstrating that the current model works and is, overwhelmingly, supported by both the trade and UK motorists.” The consultation was launched in January 2023, with the aim of seeking views to ensure roadworthiness checks continue to balance the cost to motorists, road safety, advances in vehicle technology and tackling vehicle emissions.
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Pirelli launches Scorpion Trail III motorcycle adventure-touring tyre
Pirelli has launched the latest generation of its adventure-touring motorcycle tyre series in the Scorpion Trail III. The manufacturer describes the new tyre as the “sportiest ever on asphalt” among its Scorpion range; the tyres was designed for modern adventure and crossover motorcycles. Its versatility, the result of Pirelli R&D’s latest technologies and materials, means that the tyre is suitable for use on dirt roads as well as on asphalt. Pirelli uses the Scorpion name to indicate tyre products intended for off-road use. It is present in two- and four-wheel competitions such as the Enduro World Championship and the Motocross World Championship. Pirelli categorises the Scorpion Trail III as a street enduro tyre.
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S8 Capital aiming for 2.4 million tyres a year at ex-Bridgestone plant in Russia
The new owner of the former Bridgestone factory in Ulyanovsk, Russia intends to resume tyre manufacturing at the site this year and wants to “reach significant production volumes” in 2025. According to the Ulyanovsk Region Development Corporation, S8 Capital has a first-stage goal of 2 million tyres per annum, which it will subsequently increase to 2.4 million tyres, the plant’s pre-acquisition output. The Ulyanovsk plant has a design capacity of 4.2 million tyres a year.
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Further carbon black capacities in Asia – 2 new Birla Carbon plants
Birla Carbon has announced new greenfield projects in India and Thailand. The facilities will be respectively located in Niadupet, Andhra Pradesh and Rayong and each will have an initial capacity of 120 kMT when they become operational in 2025. Birla Carbon will develop the sites with an eye to expanding both to 240 kMT in the future.
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Kwik Fit opens fleet support centre, grows leadership team
On 23 January, Kwik Fit opened its new national Fleet Customer Support Centre just outside Glasgow. The company also announced two additions to its leadership team.
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Vredestein become FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2025 main sponsor
Vredestein has become the Official Main Sponsor of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2025, which will be held in Saalbach, Austria from 4 to 16 February next year. Building on a successful partnership with the flagship event in 2023 in Courchevel and Méribel, France, the new sponsorship deal will enhance brand recognition and drive further awareness of award-winning Vredestein winter and all-season tyres.
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GSF Car Parts pilots delivery bikes
GSF Car Parts is piloting utilising a kind of electric bike to deliver car parts around its London branches. Company representatives report that delivery times are reportedly cut down to as short as just 10 minutes to some garages.
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Vredestein launches additional Wintrac Pro sizes
Apollo Tyres has added 11 new options to its award-winning Vredestein Wintrac Pro range. According to the company, the Wintrac Pro is suitable for a variety of vehicles, including the Peugeot 3008, Volkswagen ID5 and ID Buzz, and Tesla Model Y. The Wintrac Pro portfolio now encompasses 120 different dimension options, for rims from 17 to 22 inches.
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Government keeps annual MOT, considering more diesel emissions checks
Motorists will still take the first MOT test three years after buying a new car. Following the conclusion of its latest consultation on MOT frequency, the government says it is updating MOTs but the first MOT will remain at three years from registration and every subsequent MOT will also continue to be taken once every year.
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Machine Mart adds Clarke MIG103NG no gas MIG Welder
Machine Mart has added the Clarke MIG103NG MIG Welder to its catalogue of garage equipment. The company describes the welder as ideal for automotive and general fabrication, signposting its ease of transport and storage, since it does not require a gas cylinder. The MIG103NG uses flux cored steel welding wire, a type of wire which produces its own gas shroud as it burns. This means the welder can weld steel, without gas, whilst providing optimum performance and reliability.
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Yokohama Rubber, RAOT hold 6th joint seminar event for natural rubber farmers in Thailand
Yokohama held a seminar alongside the Surat Thani branch of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) in December 2023 to help Thai natural rubber farmers improve the quality and productivity of their natural rubber. 70 farm households in the Surat Thani area participated in the event. Each participating household received a complimentary 250kg of fertiliser developed with RAOT’s specialist knowledge. The seminar is the sixth held by Yokohama Rubber and RAOT since 2020.
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About:Energy launches ‘Formula Student: Drive to Recharge’
About:Energy, a leading innovator in battery development software, is launching ‘Formula Student: Drive to Recharge’, a new initiative to help address the UKs battery skills gap and support the development of 1,500 battery engineers by 2030. As part of the initiative, About:Energy has sponsored five Formula Student teams in the UK, including those from Imperial College London and University of Birmingham, providing each with cutting-edge simulation tools and education resources to enhance battery pack design, driving engineering innovation in battery development in motorsports and the wider industry.
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