The latest temporary closure of Honda’s Swindon plant because of parts shortages could be the “tip of the iceberg” for new car supply issues in 2021, the Vehicle Remarketing Association is warning. Chair Philip Nothard said that the problem, believed to be caused by poor availability of semiconductors, was potentially a sign of things to come from all manufacturers.
Honda will next week pause car production at its factory in Swindon; the third time it has done so in a little over a month. The Japanese car manufacturer said in a statement that output would be paused from Monday to Thursday next week, the longest such pause so far. It said that global supply disruption as a result of the coronavirus pandemic was responsible for the pause.
After weeks and months of mounting pressure on UK ports, the automotive industry is showing visible signs of strain. Specifically, Honda UK has halted manufacturing at its Swindon factory because it can’t get the right parts in-time to continue production. General UK tyre supply is likely to be impacted too.
The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has published details of its Autumn 2020 Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS). Paddy O’Connell, Head of the NMDA, revealed that the response rate was the highest ever, at 31 per cent; something that he describes as “very positive” and indicative that a growing number of dealers see the survey as an important and useful channel to provide feedback on the business relationship with their manufacturers.
The Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP has gained another original equipment approval, this time from Honda. The tyre has been selected for the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade and the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Both models will wear the Pirelli tyre in size 120/70 ZR17 on the front and 200/55 ZR17 at the rear. The top-performing member of the roadgoing […]
Cooper Tire Europe will support Wiltshire Air Ambulance emergency medical service by supplying Cooper Zeon 4XS Sport tyres to the charity’s XC90 rapid response vehicle (RRV) and Honda CR-V support car.
Hankook Tire reports that two awards came its way at this year’s Honda Supplier Conference in the USA. The tyre maker was one of just four “double award” suppliers to receive Supplier of the Year awards for excellence in both Quality & Delivery as well as Value. In total, Honda honoured 85 North American OEM parts suppliers.
Honda has confirmed that it will be closing its Swindon plant in 2021. The closure will cause the loss of 3,500 jobs. Honda says that it has reached the conclusion that no viable alternatives to the proposed closure of the Swindon plant have been identified.
Following the closure announcement relating to Honda’s Swindon plant as well as the closure and scaling back of production at a number of other automotive factories and their suppliers, Carol Keller, communications director at Ben – the charity and support service for the automotive sector – extended the charity’s offer of help to those affected:
Following media reports the day before, on 19 February Honda confirmed it will close its Swindon car manufacturing facility with the loss of around 3500 jobs. According to Honda, the closure forms part of wider global restructuring plans. Honda also said the news comes as the Japanese firm “accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry”.
Exol has announced it is sponsoring racing driver Dave Buky during the current series of the Civic Cup Championship.
Klarius Products’ new-to-range program has marked the beginning of summer with the addition of over 20 new type-approved, OEM quality emission control components this month. The latest new-to-range release includes catalytic converters (CATs), exhausts, pipe sections and mountings – all of which come with a standard 2-year warranty, a Fit First Time guarantee and next morning delivery in the UK.
The latest figures released by the Motor Cycle Industry Association have shown an increase in demand for motorcycles, but it is not time to get carried away by this apparent success, according to the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA). “Demand for motorcycles in January was up 11.8 per cent on the same period last year, registering 5,458 units. However, this was expected as last year the market was flooded with a high volume of pre-registered bikes for sale,” said Stephen Latham, head of the NMDA.
Hankook Tire reports that it is currently discussing original equipment tyre supply opportunities with “several top-tier US auto manufacturers,” with a view to becoming the original equipment supplier for a “handful of popular 2019 models.” The tyre maker says it is also negotiating “notable partnerships” in the USA for this year. In 2017 Hankook secured OE deals with two of the top-selling sedans on the US market, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
Hankook Tire has been selected to become the main OE supplier for the all-new, tenth-generation 2018 Honda Accord. It will supply its Hankook Kinergy GT in size 225/50 R17V. The tyre maker hasn’t specified which markets this arrangement applies to.
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