
Why sensorisation means ADAS and ADAS means calibration equipment
As the road to autonomy continues, companies such as Tesla, Uber, Ford, and Toyota are putting an increased emphasis on reaching the ultimate goal of ‘Level 5’ autonomous vehicle operation. With self-driving cars becoming closer to reality, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are rapidly becoming commonplace in modern cars. Today, an increasing number of vehicles are equipped with ADAS, featuring collision avoidance, autonomous braking in emergencies, cruise control, and self-parking. Moreover, several safety organizations are lobbying governments to mandate at least two types of ADAS in all new vehicles. As of 2022, new safety technologies such as advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS) and forward collisions warning systems (FCWS) will become mandatory in vehicles in the US and Europe. With this in mind and following the publication of “ADAS Calibration Equipment Market” by Future Market Insights, Tyres & Accessories got in contact with one of the report’s writers, Alice Ajit Mutum, in order to find out more. According to her Future Market Insights biography, Mutum is an experienced market research writer and has written extensively on the industrial automation and equipment, and automotive domains.
Continue Reading
The Klarius case and the future of exhausts in an electric vehicle world
On 3 December 2019, Manchester Crown Court cleared five current and past directors and managers of Klarius Products Ltd of charges of selling non-typed approved catalytic converters. Following the news of the Klarius directors’ acquittal, Tyres & Accessories got in touch in order to find out the inside line of what happened in and around the case.
Continue Reading
December 2019
Click on the CONTINUE READING button to view the December 2019 issue of Tyres & Accessories
Continue Reading
ZSL: Global natural rubber production lacks transparency
Global natural rubber production lacks transparency and the necessary sustainability commitments to protect both people and wildlife, according to an analysis of the natural rubber industry undertaken by international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London). ZSL assessed 15 of the “most significant” natural rubber companies and calculated an average score of just 35 per cent on SPOTT (Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit).
Continue Reading
Goodyear and Halfords moves represent the virtualization of the tyre distribution chain
The ongoing effects of import tariffs, Brexit uncertainty and structural changes in the distribution chain have all affected the tyre business this year. As well as featuring the latest motorsport news and covering market developments in our regular features, this month’s Tyres & Accessories focuses on a number of key examples of changes in the marketplace in our Review of the Year feature. But one trend stands out above the others – virtualization. In short, increasing moves towards electric and autonomous vehicles (complete with their inherent sensorisation tendencies), coupled with changes in vehicle (and tyre) ownership models such as MaaS (Mobility as a Service) are driving changes in the tyre market that are resulting in the virtualizing of parts of the distribution chain.
Continue Reading
Decennial shift in global PCLT tyre volume market share
The latest global tyre market share figures from tyre industry analyst Astutus Research show how long-established, leading players headquartered in Japan, Europe, and North America have seen their volume share diminish, while Chinese, ASEAN, and selected other markets’ tyre manufacturers’ share has risen. The analyst states that in aggregate, the ten leading PCLT tyre manufacturers based in Japan, Europe and North America (J-E-NA) have lost almost 6 percentage points of market share since the end of 2011 (OE and replacement segments combined, volumes in tyre units). In part this reflects a strategic choice of some to focus on the higher value premium segments of the market.
Continue Reading
November 2019
Click on the CONTINUE READING button to view the November 2019 issue of Tyres & Accessories
Continue Reading
McConechy’s Tyre Service Ltd sold to Halfords for £8.5 million
Halfords Group plc bought McConechys Tyre Service Limited, the sixth-largest tyre retail business in the UK, on 7 November 2019 for £8.5 million. This makes the newly-expanded Halfords Autocentres the second largest tyre retailer in the UK.
Continue Reading
Smart tyres, smart infrastructure
Tyre people often remind us that the tyre is a vehicle’s only point of contact with the ground. This is, of course, true and a very salient point. However, as tyres get smarter, so are roads and infrastructure.
Continue Reading
October 2019
Click on the CONTINUE READING button to view the October 2019 issue of Tyres & Accessories
Continue Reading
Kings Road Tyres in administration
Beleaguered wholesale and tyre services company Kings Road Tyres is now in administration, with KPMG appointed joint administrators. The administration comes at the end of nearly a decade of turbulence for the company, which is one of the UK’s oldest tyre wholesale operations, having been incorporated in 1959.
Continue Reading
New UK independent tyre dealer group established
For the last 11 years Tyres & Accessories’ annual UK retail ranking has consistently shown that the top 20 tyre retailers account for around 2000 branches between then. When you consider that there are something like 10,000 tyre points of sale in the UK, this means that these top firms occupy something like 20 per cent of the business between them. The remaining 80 per cent, however, is spread out amongst thousands of businesses with single-shop or small chain operations. It is not uncommon for individual smaller dealers from this overwhelming majority to feel underappreciated by their manufacturer and wholesaler suppliers who – they think – favour the larger chains. Tyres & Accessories recently met up with Stone Tyres founder John Stone and found out how he and around 100 other shops are working to redress the balance.
Continue Reading
Camfin gains right to buy up to 15% of Pirelli shares
Pirelli shareholder Camfin now has the right to buy up to 15 per cent of Pirelli shares. The news came when Camfin announced on 26 September that it had underwritten “an additional financial instrument, maturing in September 2022, denominated ‘Call Spread’ with 8.9 million Pirelli shares underlying”. Call Spread’s shareholding equates to 0.89% of Pirelli’s share capital.
Continue Reading
The top 8 tyre comparison sites compared
We are all familiar with the likes of MoneySuperMarket, CompareTheMarket and Confused.com. Beginning with financial and insurance products, these sites set out to give consumers more choice and the ability to compare the prices. Owing to the fact that tyres are arguably more complex, the tyre industry has moved a bit slower when it comes to comparison. During the last year or so, however, tyre comparison has come of age. So, who are the main players, what are the differences and where did tyre comparison all begin?
Continue Reading
Giti extends Micheldever exclusive distribution of GT Radial, Runway tyres
Giti Tire has extended its exclusive distribution agreement with Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) for its GT Radial and Runway brands for a further four years. The new deal, which runs until 2022, will continue to cover the passenger car, 4x4 and light truck tyre segments. Tyrepress understands that certain car and SUV sizes of Giti Tires eponymous Giti brand will continue to be available via Micheldever, where no equivalent GT Radial-branded tyre is currently available. The brand was first added to Micheldevers inventory in 10 such sizes in 2018.
Continue Reading