Product News
Drivers to spend £45 million on air con services this summer
A new report predicts that drivers in the UK will spend over £45 million on air conditioning services this summer due to the impending heatwave. Based on internal garage and consumer data, the marketplace has predicted that there will be over 1 million air con units serviced in total in the months of June, July and August, having already seen a 2500 per cent increase in requests in May compared to April.
Pro-Align launches two-day aftersales commitment
Pro-Align has launched a new commitment to visit customers with a valid aftersales agreement within two days of receiving a reported issue on Hunter equipment. For customers where a visit cannot be completed within the agreed time frame, no charge will be made for the resulting repair. The garage equipment distributor said the new commitment has been made in response to a growing number of workshops’ reliance on Hunter wheel servicing equipment for profit maximisation.
2017 – 2021 trailer registration growth forecast higher than any 5-year period ever
Clear International has just issued its latest forecast for the West European Trailer Market, which suggests that trailer registrations between 2017 and 2021 will grow at a faster five-year period than any other on record. Since the last report there has been a further improvement in the short term outlook for some West European economies. As a consequence, the forecast of a slowdown in demand for trailers in the region during 2018 has changed.
Klarius: How will WLTP real-world emission tests affect the automotive aftermarket?
The automotive industry is now implementing a new ‘real-world’ emissions testing procedure for vehicles that will hopefully make quoted mpg figures a bit more accurate but could mean higher tax brackets for many cars. The push by manufacturers to produce vehicles that are more optimised for the new test will therefore likely see some trends in engine design change.
VMI adds pallet lift to range
Tyre manufacturing equipment maker VMI has added a vertical pallet lift with high handling capacity to its product portfolio. The lift is for large batch-offs, mainly for the tyre industry.
Bridgestone, Firestone agricultural products praised by Irish farmers after wet winter
Ireland’s winter was one of the wettest on record, leading to frustration for farmers, as conditions in their fields proved too treacherous to work in. The right agricultural tyres can help to overcome such issues, as a number of Irish contractors using Bridgestone and Firestone’s latest agricultural products have found.
PCL launches new nitrogen generation and inflation range
Pneumatic Components (PCL), the Sheffield-based manufacturer and distributor of pneumatic and tyre inflation systems, has launched a new and improved mobile nitrogen generation and inflation cart range.
Vacu-Lug becomes Hankook Alphatread UK retread partner
Vacu-Lug has become the new retread manufacturing partner for Hankook in the UK. The company signalled its new status by including the manufacturer’s Alphatread retreading brand on its stand at the Commercial Vehicle Show (24-26 April, Birmingham NEC), coinciding with the beginning of production of the Alphatread bead-to-bead retread truck tyre range at the Vacu-Lug factory in Grantham.
Vacu-Lug begins manufacturing Hankook’s Alphatread range
Vacu-Lug has begun production of Hankook’s Alphatread truck tyre range at its factory in Grantham, Lincolnshire. The bead-to-bead retread tyre range is designed for medium haul fleets, and consists of four sizes. For drive axles, the R-DH05 is available in 295/80R22.5, 315/80R22.5 and 315/70R22.5 and for trailer axles, the R-TH22 is available in 385/65R22.5.
See Sense: Introducing ELTA Visionpro and VXPro
ELTA Automotive Ltd marked its 25th anniversary by launching its new PRO brands at Automechanika Birmingham in June.
MTS brings popular Dacia parts to UK
MTS has introduced two new exhaust systems for the Dacia Logan and Duster as part of its ongoing plan to bring to the UK aftermarket products in demand.
Toyota choose Trico blades for Lexus range
The Toyota programme has been extremely successful since its launch less than a year ago and now Toyota has decided to use Trico blades for the Lexus brand. Trico was awarded the business by the Japanese automotive manufacturer after impressing with the quality of design and manufacture of its hybrid range.
Bridgestone investing 24 million euros in Spanish truck tyre plant
Bridgestone Corp. is investing 24 million euros ($28.2 million) in order to produce a new line of 24-inch radial truck tyres suited for on- and off-road applications at its Puente San Miguel, Spain, factory.
Behr Hella Service introduces QR codes on packaging
With immediate effect, thermal management expert Behr Hella Service will print a QR code on all its product packaging labels. This will enable wholesalers and workshops to get product information on their smartphones.
‘Double success’ for Parts Alliance in Birmingham
Automechanika Birmingham 2018 (5-7 June, Birmingham NEC) proved a “double success story” for The Parts Alliance, who showcased Bendix braking at the event and sponsored the ‘Garage of the Year’ awards too.