At the end of 2021, Sentury Tire announced that it is planning to build a half-a-billion-euro tyre factory in the Galicia region of Spain. 10 months down the line, is the Sentury Spain factory still going ahead as planned? The short answer is yes and the project is designed to be powered by wind energy. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Warren Rudman, general manager Sentury Tire (Spain) S.L. in order to find out more.
Plummeting shipping rates mean prices of non-European imported tyres could drop. The Covid-19 pandemic led to unprecedented increases in shipping costs. Inevitably this has led to record profits at most of the major shipping firms, but now there are signs that the party is over. And if shipping costs have fallen, tyre imports into Europe are both more attractive and more competitive.
German rubber industry association wdk is “sounding the alarm” as massive increases in the cost of energy, raw materials and logistics take their toll upon companies within the industry, draining their liquidity and straining earnings. The wdk warns of impending insolvencies, a concretisation of relocation plans and job cuts.
On 8 September, we were all shocked to learn that Queen Elizabeth II died. September’s magazine was already at the printer, but we wanted to honour her majesty’s life by changing our front cover to a more respectful hue as well as altering our leading article column. Here’s our immediate reaction to the sad news:
A new flagship tyre will arrive in Bridgestone’s summer touring line-up next year, and it’s a product that “gives drivers control and confidence in stressful and unforeseen conditions, including on a rainy day.” Introducing the Bridgestone Turanza 6, Bridgestone states that its successor to the Turanza T005 offers best-in-class wet performance as well as superior mileage and improved fuel/energy efficiency.
Off-highway tyre specialist GRI has introduced an agricultural tyre range containing 37.5 per cent sustainable materials. The new Green XLR Earth series is made with a high percentage of recycled carbon black, soybean oil, HD silica and reclaimed rubber. GRI debuted the range at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa, USA.
Falken’s latest cold weather tyre offering is set to make its UK market debut this winter in September. Two specifications will be available: the Eurowinter HS02 and HS02 Pro. Both tyres represent the next generation of Falken’s cold-weather range. They offer significant improvements over their predecessor, the HS01, according to the manufacturer.
Following the headline-grabbing news that Liz Truss is open to the idea of turning the UK motorway network into an autobahn-style system, we took a closer look at the idea. Of course, we all know that both Truss and Sunak are electioneering at the moment, doing their best to tell tory members what they think they want to hear. But, however sincere the motivation turns out to be, dispatching with the speed limit will have an inevitable impact on both road safety and the tyre market. So, with that in mind, this month’s column is something of a thought experiment. What would happen if Liz Truss became prime minister and got her way when it comes to turning motorways into autobahns?
As the conservative party chooses a new leader, something that will result in a new Prime Minister of the UK, both candidates have weighed in with their views on transport policy. For her part, Liz Truss has said she is willing to look at making motorway speed limits “advisory”.
Cambridgeshire haulier G.Webb is trialling Continental’s new tyre pressure monitoring system platform, ContiConnect 2.0, fitting the latest upgrade to the majority of its fleet. The bulk haulage specialist is a long-term user of Continental Digital Solutions, and fleet engineering director Paul Broker has declared himself “a fan of the ContiConnect platform from the outset.” The new platform moves to the next step by introducing predictive maintenance, while also adding additional options via the app.
Audi will compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with a specially developed power unit from 2026. The project will be based at Audi Sport’s facility in Neuburg near Ingolstadt. This is the first time in more than a decade that a Formula 1 power train will be built in Germany. Audi will announce a decision on which team they will be lining up with in 2026 by the end of this year.
Discarded tyres will soon find a new home within the latest Mercedes-Benz models. Pyrum Innovations AG, which produces pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tyres (ELT), is supplying oil to its cooperation partner BASF SE, which in turn is combining the oil with biomethane as a raw material in the production of virgin plastics for vehicle components. Door handles will be the first products to have their fossil raw materials replaced by biomethane and pyrolysis oil from ELT. These will appear on Mercedes-Benz EQE and S-Class models later in 2022.
During June Vaculug invited partners, suppliers and media to a high-profile event in Oxford based at the former prison (now Malmaison hotel) and including an exclusive dinner within one of the Oxford University colleges. The overall message is clear, the company is not only reaching out in the increasingly post-Covid environment – its growing team of experienced key industry personnel is positioning itself to capitalise on the company’s status as one Europe’s largest independent tyre retreaders.
On 17 August, Sumitomo Rubber (China) announced that the company is ending the sale and production of truck tyres in China. From 2023, the company will no longer produce and sell truck and bus tyres for the Chinese market. From April 2024, Sumitomo Rubber (China) will no longer manufacture truck and bus tyres for overseas markets.
Michelin is parting ways with the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship following the 2021/22 season finale. With Hankook limbering up and ready to take over next year, the French tyre maker has looked back on its eight years with the championship, convinced that its work has “made a concrete contribution to the success enjoyed by Formula E today.”
Narcisa Aciko; Pexels
Diego Fernandez; Unsplash
Falken
Policy Exchange
Continental
Chris Anthony; Tyre Industry Publications Ltd
Sumitomo Rubber Industries