
Ring’s cordless tyre inflator an IAAF’s Product of the Year Awards finalist
Premium quality automotive lighting and auto electrics supplier, Ring, has been selected as a finalist for the IAAF Pride of Aftermarket Product of the Year Awards 2023, with its cordless tyre inflator that was launched earlier this year as the nominated product.
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New van demand grows for 11th month but EV uptake needs 2024 boost
Britain’s new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market grew by 12.7 per cent in November as 27,433 vans, pickups and 4x4s joined Britain’s fleets, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The performance is 4.6 per cent above pre-pandemic 2019 levels and represents 11 consecutive months of rising demand, totalling 311,754 units – the largest volume for two years as product availability continues to improve.
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Decline in battery electric vehicle sales underlines continuing need to address demand – Deloitte
The -17.1 per cent decline in battery electric vehicle registrations in November may have been a result of supply chain issues, but analysts argued that the setback on the electrification of the UK car parc also underlines the need to continue addressing issues affecting consumer demand. Jamie Hamilton, automotive partner and head of electric vehicles at Deloitte, said: “In a month where we’ve seen significant announcements in the UK supporting electric vehicle (EV) production, the decline in sales of battery electric vehicles in November is a reminder that we also need to think about demand and the underlying charging infrastructure that’s required for consumer adoption.
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Latest new car registrations: ‘best November for four years’
The UK new car market grew by 9.5 per cent in November to reach 156,525 units, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). In the market’s best November for four years, registrations almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, down just 96 units (-0.1 per cent) on 2019.
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Vaculug offers electric waste vehicle tread compound
Vaculug has introduced an electric waste vehicle-orientated tread compound integrated with its Protekt System. This compound is being developed at Vaculug’s R&D facilities in Grantham and with their partner Vipal’s R&D team in Brazil.
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Pirelli honours top suppliers
This year’s Pirelli Supplier Day took place today at the tyre maker’s headquarters in Milan, with the company welcoming companies from 18 countries. The more than 70 strategic suppliers attending the event represent around 40% of Pirelli’s annual global purchases, and Chief Procurement Officer Andrea Maganzani honoured five stand-out firms.
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Upgraded Nokian Tyres summer line-up
Nokian Tyres has refreshed its summer tyre range with two new products, Powerproof 1 and Wetproof 1. It will offer a total of 99 new products for cars, CUVs and SUVs in 15- to 20-inch rim diameters, with both lines debuting in time for summer 2024.
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Halfords: Motorists could save £400 million by not servicing at dealerships
According to research conducted by Opinium for Halfords, 54 per cent of motorists are wrongly told they must get their vehicle serviced at a dealership to protect their warranty. The truth is that, under UK law, motorists can get their vehicles serviced anywhere from the moment they drive off the forecourt.
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Halfords accelerates Autocentre investment after strong first-half 2024 results
Halfords Groups reports that its “strong” first-half 2024 financial performance was driven by “substantial revenue and profit growth through increased market share” and “optimisation of our Autocentres business”. And that means we can expect accelerated capital investment in Autocentres moving forward.
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Solution for CV electrification – Symbio inaugurates fuel cell gigafactory
Symbio, Michelin’s equally owned joint venture with automotive supplier Forvia and vehicle manufacturer Stellantis, has inaugurated its SymphonHy facility today. Located in Saint-Fons, within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, the site houses Symbio’s headquarters, a production plant, an innovation hub and the Symbio Hydrogen Academy.
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Prinx Chengshan gains national-level “green factory” rating
The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently released its 2023 Green Manufacturing List, and Prinx Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Co. Ltd. was once again awarded the national-level Green Factory title. Prinx Chengshan was awarded the first batch of National Green Factories in China in 2017. The company reports that it has successively won the national Green Supply Chain Management Enterprise and Industrial Product Green Design Demonstration Enterprise titles and has participated in several national standards related to the intelligent manufacturing of green tyres in China.
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LKQ Corporation names Hamilton SVP of LKQ and European MD
Andy Hamilton, currently chief executive officer of LKQ UK & Ireland, is to become senior vice president of LKQ as well as president and executive managing director of LKQ Europe from 1 January 2024. The news follows the announcement last week that Justin Jude was to succeed Dominick Zarcone as president and CEO of LKQ Corporation on 1 July 2024.
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Remember This? – December 2023
Our monthly magazine column looks back at the biggest news events from the tyre industry five, 10, 15 and 20 years ago. Click the month and year to access the digital edition of the relevant issue of the magazine from Tyres & Accessories expanding digital archive.
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44% of dealers think car buyers will stick with petrol, diesel for longer after UK government’s EV decision
More than four out of 10 dealers (44 per cent) think used car buyers will stick with petrol and diesel cars for longer following the government’s decision to delay the new car electrifcation deadline to 2035. Startline’s November Used Car Tracker also shows that 29 per cent believe the move will mean the used electric vehicle (EV) market will take longer to develop while 19 per cent forecast that consumer demand for EVs will fall. Additionally, 24 per cent of dealers now believe it is more likely that motorists will buy a hybrid as a stepping stone to full electrification while 20 per cent believe that EV prices will fall further in addition to recent reductions.
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Continental presents mid-term targets
Continental revealed its strategy for growth at its Capital Market Day yesterday. The company aims to enhance value creation by implementing cost reduction measures, with a goal of achieving an adjusted EBIT margin of 8-11% within 2-3 years and improving within this range thereafter. Continental also refined its sales targets and now aims for €44-48 billion in 2-3 years and €51-56 billion in 3-5 years.
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