Le Mans: Spectacular, a spectacle and a long-lens into the future of Michelin’s motorsport and production car tyres
Following our online previews and publication in the July edition of Tyres & Accessories magazine, here is the our complete coverage of last months 24 Hours of Le Mans, featuring interviews with Mathieu Bonardel, director of Michelin Motorsport and Serge Lafon, Michelin’s president of business line automotive OE. The famed Le Mans endurance race sees dozens of cars across three categories race at speeds of up to 330 km/h non-stop for a whole day in-front of a live audience numbering around 300,000. Its spectacular, yes. But it is more than just a spectacle. Michelin’s motorsport endeavours – embodied by its unparalleled history of supporting victory at Le Mans – exemplify the so-called racetrack-to-road philosophy. However, in addition to outright performance gains – which are clearly the foundation of Michelin’s work in top-flight racing series and events like Le Mans – Michelin is also working to develop road-orientated sustainability benefits at the same time.
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European commercial vehicle registrations double-digits down in 1H 2025
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has revealed the very challenging conditions of 2025’s commercial vehicle market, with light and heavy registrations double-digits down on 2024. The current year has been marked by significant registration declines in key markets, though there has been positive movement towards the electrification of the park, with the electrically-chargeable share increasing. However, the ACEA adds that even in this segment, the growth trajectory is still not fast enough as market uptake continues to be stymied by the near absence of essential enabling conditions. (ACEA data is aggregated from data provided by national automobile associations, ACEA members and S&P Global Mobility.)
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Iveco Group sold to Tata Motors
Iveco Group N.V. and Tata Motors Limited have reached an agreement for Tata to buy Iveco and “create a commercial vehicles group with the reach, product portfolio and industrial capability to be a global champion in this dynamic sector.”
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Imexpart rebrands to UPG UK & Ireland
Imexpart Ltd (IMEX) is to rebrand as UPG UK & Ireland. The move comes two years after the parts distributors merged in 2023. The business has undergone a period of strategic development, refining internal operations, modernising customer engagement and expanding its product offering. This name change brings the brand identity into full alignment with its parent company and global vision.
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Orion CFO Glajch to retire
Carbon black supplier Orion S.A. has announced the upcoming retirement of Chief Financial Officer Jeff Glajch, who intends to step down early in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company says it will launch a comprehensive search to identify a successor. To ensure a smooth transition, Glajch will continue to support Orion through the end of 2025.
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BTMA awaiting China tariff announcement
In its 2024-25 Annual Report, the UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) confirms its continued pursuit of an investigation into truck and bus tyres imported from China, seeking tariffs on these products as set out in the Statement of Essential Facts it published in August 2024. The British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (BTMA) is following TRA progress on the matter and looking forward to official confirmation that tariffs on Chinese imports will be implemented at the levels proposed in the Statement of Essential Facts.
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GT Radial ClimateActive launches in Europe
Giti Tire brand GT Radial has launched the ClimateActive. The new all-season tyre pattern will sit alongside the popular GT Radial 4Seasons, which will remain available in 13-14” sizes. The ClimateActive features reduced rolling resistance, with up to 15 per cent improvement in wet performance, resulting in an A rating for wet grip, while still retaining long-lasting mileage, according to the manufacturer. The tyre arrives in Europe with a broad 15-21” size range, covering a total of more than 90 sizes. This means the tyre covers more than 90 per cent of target passenger car and SUV vehicles.
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AvD resuming tyre testing
A growing number of motorists rely upon the results of independent comparative tests when selecting replacement tyres, and they will soon have one more source to turn to. The Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD) has announced its return to tyre testing following a half-century hiatus and will work together with a highly experienced tyre tester. The first AvD test, which focuses on all-season tyres, will appear soon.
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Yokohama TWS appoints new MD for DACH region
As of 1 August, Joachim Hörr will become Managing Director of Yokohama TWS in the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) region. Incumbent MD, Rolf Christmann, will retire on 30 August after more than 37 years with Yokohama TWS and its predecessor organisations.
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Tyre Recovery Association announces plans for 16 September Forum Day – ‘After India’
The UK’s Tyre Recovery Association will discuss the question of whether the government will end export of baled whole tyres and deliver on its objective of a zero-waste circular economy at its annual Forum Day on 16 September. The event, held at the Ardencote Hotel in Warwick, follows a Westminster Hall debate on the handling of waste tyres in April, during which Mary Creagh, Labour’s waste minister committed to “a little more action under this government” and “to stop outsourcing our waste problems to other countries.” The forum will ask when the government plans to pass the regulations needed to reform the T8 exemption, which has opened the door to malpractice in used tyre handling. Creagh has been invited to attend the Forum Day, while the director of campaign group Fighting Dirty, Georgia Elliott-Smith will deliver the keynote address. The TRA Forum Day is the largest gathering of the UK tyre recycling industry, and will discuss the challenges of today and tomorrow.
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CAM develops TiDaeX compliant Fitter-Force software
CAM has developed TiDaeX compliant software, enabling tyre service providers to send and (optionally) receive breakdown and other service work directly into the mobile tyre service module of Fitter-Force from organisations such as DTM, Tyre Assist, Tyrenet, and ULM. This is in addition to the multiple tyre manufacturers integrated into TiDaeX where a connection between them and the dealer exists on TiDaeX.
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Nexen reports record quarterly sales driven ‘driven by European plant expansion’
Nexen Tire has reported consolidated revenue of 804.7 billion Korean won and operating profit of 42.6 billion won. This marks the second consecutive quarter in which the company has achieved a record high in quarterly revenue. According to Nexen, the robust second-quarter performance was primarily driven by increased production capacity following Phase 2 of its European plant in the Czech Republic. Nexen executives also pointed to certain “region specific strategies). Another win was securing “key supply volumes in advance, resulting in balanced growth across both original equipment (OE) and replacement (RE) segments.”
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Continental survey – UK fleets show strong interest in digital solutions
UK-based fleet managers are “particularly open to fundamental change,” Continental tells us. Specifically, four out of five UK respondents to a study conducted last year see a “significant need for transformation in their companies,” while 73 per cent are concerned about their competitiveness. According to the study, titled ‘The Future of the Fleets’ and conducted by Dataforce on behalf of Continental, such fleet operators show strong interest in digital tools that improve driver safety, minimise downtime, and help reduce costs.
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Continental appoints Hamilton Director of Sales for US RE Truck Tire
Wyatt D. Hamilton, Sr. is the name of the new Director of Sales for Continental Tire the Americas’ Truck Tire Replacement division in the United States. Hamilton brings more than two decades of experience to his latest position as well as a thorough understanding of both the replacement and original equipment aspects of the business, having been a member of the Continental truck tyre team for the last 20 years. He will be based at Continental’s US headquarters in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
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Ring Automotive introduces budget-priced tyre inflators
Auto accessory supplier, Ring Automotive has added a new budget offering to the tyre care market. After its launch with its Ultrainflate series, the company has now released a new TYREInflate range. In the 20 years that Ring has been in the tyre care marketing, it has curated an award-winning and highly respected range of tyre inflators, including in most recent premium Ultrainflate products. However, with the cost of living continuing to rise, the business has launched competitively-priced tyre inflators to ensure everyone can carry out regular tyre pressure checks.
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