Fast Fit Offered By Mercedes
In this year Mercedes wants to establish a so-called “Express-Service” covering the range from exhausts to brakes. Within one hour customers utilising this special service are assumed to be on the road again.
In this year Mercedes wants to establish a so-called “Express-Service” covering the range from exhausts to brakes. Within one hour customers utilising this special service are assumed to be on the road again.
Despite excellent results and an on-going buy recommendation from Deutsche Bank, Continental shares are not rising. The management has announced that the “intelligent tyre” is to be fitted as OE from 2003 but refuses to name the car manufacturer. The management also feeds speculation regarding a joint venture partner for brakes in Asia. Will this help the share price to rise?
In 1997 Peugeot introduced a Fast Fit service (tyres, brakes, exhausts, batteries) at its car dealers in France. Now the concept, which is called “Rapide”, has been adopted in Germany.
Bridgestone (tyres), Akebono (brakes) and Kayaba Ind. (shock absorbers) last week announced a joint venture to develop modules which include the above three products.
Hayes Lemmerz International, one of the world’s leading suppliers of wheels, brakes, powertrain, suspension, structural and other lightweight components to the automotive and commercial highway markets, has announced that its Board of Directors has approved the repurchase of up to an aggregate of $30 million of its outstanding Common Stock. “Based on current market prices, our stock is at a historical low and we believe that the repurchase program is a good investment of available funds,” said Ron Cucuz, Hayes CEO and Chairman of the Board.
Authorised VW dealers will integrate a fast fit service in Germany under the name “Car Center” by the end of 2001 open to all car brands. Besides brakes, exhausts and shock absorbers the offer will also include accessories like alloy wheels.
The tyre can no longer be regarded as an isolated part of a car but is integrated into an increasingly complicated network or system. Progress in electronics especially has been revolutionary and has enormous influence on the work of tyre technicians. The engineers have to think in systems and integrate the tyre into all parts of the motive power of the car. Between the two corners “tyre wheel system” and the engine, is a wide field which the car makers and their suppliers are exploiting step by step. Immediately next to the tyres are modules such as brakes, shock absorbers and axles. Around the tyre is the “chassis”. The producers of certain of these elements in the past developed their own product without contacting the producers of neighbouring chassis parts. They were driven by their customers in the car industry, who gave information about the performance of the product with the target that all the parts should be compatible. As development progresses, this becomes harder and harder. In the future the suppliers will be forced to cooperate one with another, in order to make the best possible technology available for the car.