Nokian becomes Ikon in Russia
The terms of the license agreement signed when the Nokian Tyres operation in Russia changed hands compel the new owner to cease using all trademarks and names belonging to the Finnish tyre maker, except Nordman. The Tatneft-owned business has thus rebranded from Nokian to Ikon Tyres.
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New Trelleborg CX940 port tyre
Trelleborg CX940 is a new tyre for equipment such as reach stackers, straddle carriers and top picks. Trelleborg Wheel Systems says the tyre is “made for maximum resistance in handling high intensity jobs” and reports that it “brings greater stability and comfort to operators.”
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Michelin sales up 7.4% in Q1 2023
Benefitting from “premium positioning” in Q1 2023 despite “weak markets” around the world, Michelin increased its consolidated sales 7.4% year-on-year, to 6.96 billion euros. Tyre volumes, on the other hand, were down 6.6%. Michelin confirms its 2023 full-year guidance.
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High-performance SUV tyres an increasingly all-season proposition
The years since 2020 have brought with them more than their fair share of upheaval. However, throughout that period the growth in importance of SUV and 4x4 tyre sales has continued basically unabashed. With that in mind Tyres & Accessories asked the market research specialists at GfK for their view on the latest headline trends in the UK market. However, while this article zeroes in on the UK market, the UK market position as an established leader in the wider European market take-up of SUVs – and therefore SUV tyres – means the trends identified are also relevant across the continental tyre markets.
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Cross-sectionality: Volvo’s XC40 and the intersection of 4×4, SUV and electric vehicle-specific tyres
For years the rise in prominence and market share of high-value and high-margin SUV and 4x4 tyres has continued unabated. During that time the boundaries between cross-over vehicles (CUV), sports utility vehicles (SUV) and 4x4s have been well and truly blurred. Now, with electric drivetrain technology coming to the fore as well, and with some tyre manufacturers making the case for specific electric vehicle-orientated tyres, is a new ultra-high value combined niche emerging? And if so, what does such intersectionality, or perhaps more appropriately since we are talking about tyres cross-sectionality, mean for the wider tyres business?
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2023 Guangrao Tire Exhibition showcasing Chinese and international tyre manufacturing
From 15-17 May 2023, the 13th China (Guangrao) International Rubber Tire & Auto Accessory Exhibition (ChinaGRTAE 2023) will be held in Guangrao County, Shandong Province, China. According to the show’s organiser, more than 50 tyre manufacturers are participating in the ChinaGRTAE 2023. In addition to local tyre manufacturers, well-known tyre manufacturers such as Goodyear, Continental, Dunlop, CST (Cheng Shin Tire), Giti, Sailun, Nexen, and Kenda, will also set up booths at this exhibition. Upstream and downstream enterprises in the tyre manufacturing industry chain, such as Solprima, Xingda Steel Cord, MAK, Jinfei Kaida wheel, and Yueling wheel hub, will also participate in this exhibition.
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‘I’ll have a set of your finest…ditchfinders’ – Online tyre sales in a pre-sale research world
During my regular routine of social media maintenance, I came across the following post on the @Tyrepress Twitter feed from Fast Ford, Mini Magazine and Total BMW editor, Daniel Bevis: “I defy you to find a more wretched tyre than a 7-year-old Luckyland Happygalop.” Now, to make it clear, Bevis was very much stating his personal, subjective opinion both in relation to that particularly floridly-named brand’s quality and in his specific choice of adjectives. However, since he raised that especially vocal opinion, there are at least two broader points to be made. Firstly, consumers have never been more empowered to research their purchases pre-sale and then air their views relating to tyres. And secondly, the ongoing proliferation of brands in the market makes the ability to discern quality and understand each brand’s provenance as important as ever.
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Germany’s Rigdon to retread car tyres
Car tyre retreading has been a niche activity in recent years, but on 5 April French firm Black Star presented its ‘Leonard’ line-up and announced plans to make a million of these tyres a year. And it isn’t the only tyre company entering this segment, as German retreader Rigdon says it is also planning a retreaded car tyre range of its own.
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Nankang a Nürburgring advertising partner
Future visitors to the Nürburgring Nordschleife will see 87 metres of Nankang branding in the ‘Breidscheid’ area. The Taiwanese tyre maker has initially signed up as an advertising partner at the Nürburgring until the end of 2025.
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Continental embarking on 35-country fleet roadshow
On 2 May, Continental will drive the first mile of a two-year journey that will bring its portfolio of truck tyres and services to fleet customers throughout Europe. By the time the Continental European Roadshow draws to a close in 2025, it will have covered more than 9,000 miles and visited 35 countries.
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JK Tyre develops 80% sustainable tyre
A couple of weeks after Apollo Tyres unveiled car tyres containing 75% sustainable materials, JK Tyre & Industries has seen Apollo’s 75 and raised it 5. The company has produced a passenger car radial with 80% recycled and renewable materials – and says it will offer such a range “in due course.”
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Nokian Tyres: 18.8 million-euro Q1 2023 loss, but pricing should mitigate income problems
Nokian Tyres has presented its first quarterly results since the company sold its Russian operations to Tatneft its resultant production gap. In short, first quarter 2023 net sales were 236.4 million euros down 26.8 per cent compare with 322.9 million euros during the same period last year. That meant an operating loss of 18.8 million euros compared with 21.5 million euros of operating profit in the first quarter of 2022.
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Nokian Tyres’s Romania plant breaking ground in May 2023, 2-3 offtake deals to fill production gap
Nokian Tyres’s well-publicised exit from Russia has left it with a similarly well-reported production gap that continues to impact the company’s ongoing business. Speaking as part of the company’s first quarter 2023 results presentation, Nokian Tyres executives emphasised that “new capacity is our #1 priority” and shared further details of how they are planning to fill the firm’s production gap. We already knew that Nokian plans to expand its existing factories in Nokia, Finland and Dayton, USA as well as build a new factory in Romania and make off-take contracts with third-party manufacturers, what’s new is the detail and time frames associated with “building the new Nokian Tyres”.
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ETRMA: Unenviable tyre sales trend continues in Q1 2023
Manufacturer association ETRMA reports that its members experienced a “significant drop” in replacement market sales demand during Q1 2023. Compared to Q1 2022, sales within the replacement consumer tyre segment declined 12% and replacement truck and bus tyre market sales demand shrank by 18%. While sales of moto tyres were just 3% below the prior year figure, agricultural tyre sales were 39% lower.
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Bandvulc debuts next-generation bus & coach tyre
Bandvulc has launched a new tyre for bus and coach operators. Introducing Citymaster 5, the Continental-owned retreader states that the tyre “majors on delivering exceptional reliability, durability and safety for operators of passenger carrying vehicles.”
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