Greg Ward joins Halfords
Greg Ward has joined the Halfords Autocentres business, where the experienced truck, bus and agricultural tyre specialist will be commercial sales director.
Tag Archive for: featured
Bridgestone: 20% of OE deals EV tyres by 2024
The past two years have given plenty of reason to be optimistic about the speed of the electrification of the car parc. In the UK plug-in electric vehicle sales have grown market share quickly, rising to 18.5 per cent of new car registrations in the UK in 2021, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Add in hybrids, and this figure was over a quarter (27.5 per cent) last year. The new car market has faced severe headwinds with component shortages and other effects of the pandemic, leading to only one percent growth compared to the year of the most severe pandemic restrictions in 2020. Meanwhile EVs have benefitted from favourable consumer perception and government-backed schemes, leading to growth where other segments have faltered. With schemes due to expire and bottlenecking in the rollout of chargepoints, there could be more turbulence for new EV sales coming, yet current projections show that confidence in the EV segment is relatively high.
Kumho to launch Ecsta HS52 high performance summer tyre
Kumho is bringing the follow-up to its highly rated Ecsta HS51 to the replacement tyre market in 2022. The Ecsta HS52 will be available from Kumho dealers this spring. The tyre, the latest in the Korean tyre manufacturer’s Ecsta range for performance cars comes after its predecessor’s triumph in Auto Bild’s March 2021 summer tyre test, when it topped a list of 53 candidates. By the end of 2022 the HS52 will be available in 46 sizes to fit rim diameters between 14 and 18 inches.
Falken to launch new Azenis FK520 tyre for performance cars, SUVs
Falken is to launch a new flagship car tyre for performance cars and SUVs in spring 2022. The Azenis FK520 is the Sumitomo Rubber Industries brand’s new tyre that exhibits Falken’s latest technologies, many of which are derived from its successful, race-winning European motorsport programme. Falken states that its next-generation UHP tyre is stiffer and lighter than its predecessor, reducing unsprung mass, and improving stability and efficiency. The new Falken Azenis FK520 will initially come in 81 sizes between 17 and 21 inches for cars and powerful SUVs. Every variation is certified for speed category Y (300 km/h).
Bridgestone inaugurates new wet handling track at European Proving Ground
BridgestoneBridgestone has inaugurated a new state-of-the-art wet handling track at its European Proving Ground (EUPG) near Rome. The tyre manufacturer says the track was designed to provide suitable testing for “both traditional vehicle manufacturers and new EV players” in a variety of weather conditions. Designed within a virtual environment ahead of construction, the project received an investment of approximately 3 million euros.
OE deals demonstrate expanding Yokohama Advan range’s qualities
Yokohama’s flagship Advan tyre range has secured original equipment approvals from some of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche. The manufacturer will launch a new flagship replacement market tyre in 2022, the Advan Sport V107, developed for premium vehicles in an initial range of 30-plus sizes between 18 and 23 inches. Versions of the tyre developed alongside leading OEMs, have already been specified for fitment on a variety of new models, such as the Brabus Off Roader range and BMW’s first fully electric “sports activity vehicles.”
Land Rover Defender rolls out of factories on Conti CrossContact RX crossover tyre
Land Rover has specified the Continental CrossContact RX crossover tyre for original fitment on all Defender models, including the plug-in hybrid. The tyre manufacturer developed the CrossContact RX for crossover and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with a sporty performance profile also suitable for off-road use. Conti is supplying three variations of the tyre in one 19” and two 22” sizes. Conti has increased the profile of its SUV/4×4 tyre range recently, with the inaugural series of off-road electric vehicle racing championship Extreme E running on tyres derived from the CrossContact range. The RX was also fitted to a 300-strong run of special edition Land Rover Defenders featured in the 2021 James Bond film, No Time To Die.
Michelin announces new generation of summer car tyres
MICHELIN 2021 - Florent GIFFARDMichelin has announced the launch of its fifth generation Pilot Sport and the upgraded Primacy 4+. The new summer tyres represent the manufacturer’s newest solutions for the ultra-high performance and touring segments, following up multi-award winning predecessors. Both tyres are designed to deliver on Michelin’s efforts to decrease the environmental impact of its tyres by increasing the longevity of the tyres’ key safety performance characteristics.
Nokian launches ‘durable’ Hakkapeliitta CR4, C4 winter van tyres
Nokian Tyres has developed a new line of winter van tyres for professionals and recreational drivers, with an additional studded option for Nordic conditions. The Hakkapeliitta CR4 and C4 studded tyres are designed to last longer and carry heavy loads in a balanced manner at higher speeds, the Finnish manufacturer says. Nokian has maximised the durability of the Hakkapeliitta C4 and CR4 via its impact, cut, and pothole resistant Aramid Sidewall technology. The new tyre line, designed for key markets in the Nordic countries and Russia, will be delivered to retailers by autumn, in time for the 2022/23 winter season.
Off-highway capacity to double: Ceat curtails TBR expansion
With exports of its off-highway tyres (OHT) particularly healthy at present, India’s Ceat Limited has decided to increase its strategic focus in this area and will more than double agricultural radial capacity by mid-2023. Existing plans to expand truck and bus radial (TBR) production are thus taking a back seat.
Nokian’s new winter tyre includes SUV, EV variations
The new Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta R5 for passenger cars and the Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV for sport utility vehicles and crossovers are made to deliver uncompromising safety and smart driving features for every day of winter. Offering the purest form of safety, the new Hakkapeliitta R5 product range is an innovative combination of winter grip, silence and driving comfort. A special addition to this product family is the Hakkapeliitta R5 EV, a dedicated version for electric vehicles and hybrids.
Kumho confirms Saudi tyre factory MoU
BlatcoKumho Tire representatives have confirmed reports that the South Korean tyremaker has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi tyre business Black Arrow Tire Co (Blatco). However, the two parties differ on the degree of progress made with the talks.
Big names committed to The Tire Cologne
After a four-year absence, The Tire Cologne is preparing to make a comeback in May. Continental, Falken, Hankook, Michelin and Pirelli have already signed up as exhibitors. Show organiser Koelnmesse and conceptual sponsor the German Tyre Retail and Vulcanisation Trade Association (BRV) discussed their plans at a digital press conference this morning.
Continental Tyre Group appoints Tarik Görgün MD
David Smith plans to retire as managing director of Continental Tyre Group at the end of March 2022. Continental has announced that his successor will be Tarik Görgün, who is currently head of OE Tyres Japan and global key account manager for Honda and Subaru. Görgün will take over the role of managing director for the UK and Ireland from 1 March 2022.
Spring launch for ‘high mileage’ Continental UltraContact summer car tyre
Continental will launch its new summer car tyre for 14-20” applications in 100 sizes in spring 2022. The new UltraContact will address the latest trends in mobility with a new compound and tread designed to increase mileage potential, while delivering safe handling characteristics and low rolling resistance. The carcass of the tyre is designed to promote durability too. The Conti UltraContact is designed to offer increased sustainability in motoring and has been engineered to be suitable for fitment on electric vehicles. Conti sites global sales of EVs to hit 14 million annual sales by 2025. Estimates shared with Tyrepress by leading tyre business analyst Astutus Research suggest European demand for plug-in electric vehicle tyres could reach around 40 million tyres by 2025, with roughly half in the replacement market.
