Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) has appointed a new senior management team for its tyre manufacturing plant in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). The appointment comes as Continental gears up to increase the site’s role as a supplier of light commercial vehicle tyres to global markets.
Arctic Trucks is an authorised converter of off-road vehicles, and its latest offering is the Toyota Hilux AT35, which has been specially developed to handle the most challenging landscapes with ease. The re-engineered vehicle is fitted with BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tyres – the company’s toughest on/off road fitment – as original equipment, in size LT315/70 R17.
With the addition of the Cooper Tire business, Goodyear will return to the global number three ranking in passenger car and light truck (PCLT) tyre volumes in 2021. After previously holding the clear number three ranking behind the world’s largest tyre manufacturers, Bridgestone and Michelin, Goodyear was joint third with Continental in both 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Goodyear fell behind Continental to fourth position in 2019 and 2020. Working on a pro forma basis combining original equipment and replacement market tyres, Astutus Research data reveals some interesting facts about the nascent conjoined organisation, with reference to their largest tyre business segment in terms of volume.
The USA will continue to apply anti-dumping and countervailing duties to passenger vehicle and light truck (PLT) tyres from China. The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) decided against ending the charging of duties, which have applied to these products since 2015, after determining that doing so would “likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.” Unsurprisingly, the United Steelworkers union applauds the decision.
Goodyear has brought out a second generation of its summer van and light truck tyre. The first sizes in the new Goodyear EfficientGrip Cargo 2 range began arriving in December, and the full range of 23 SKUs for 14- to 17-inch rim diameters should be available by the end of October 2021.
The UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market grew by more than a quarter (+26.4 per cent) in September, according to the latest SMMT figures. In total, 52,096 vans, pickups and 4x4s were registered in the month, up some 10,880 units on a weak September 2019, when regulatory changes distorted the market.
Global sales of Global Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) are projected to reach 9.49 million units in 2020, with pickups contributing to 4.62 million units. According to research by Frost & Sullivan, the global economic impact of COVID-19 caused the market to decline by 19 per cent in global LCV sales from 11.72 million units in 2019. The European market is said to be worst hit, with countries such as Italy and Spain facing an average decline in LCV sales of 35 per cent to 50 per cent in 2020.
Bridgestone EMIA (Europe Middle East India and Africa) has announced a price increase of up to 4 per cent.
Firestone has released its first all-season tyre for European light trucks. The Vanhawk Multiseason offers winter-ready, fuel efficient performance for year-round use in all weather conditions, Firestone adds. It targets increased business efficiency for small-medium sized fleet operations and private van drivers. With the launch of the Vanhawk Multiseason, the Bridgestone group now has a multi-tier offer for the all-season van segment. It launched the Bridgestone Duravis All Season, a first for its eponymous brand too, last week.
Bridgestone has launched its first-ever all-season tyre for the light truck segment. The Duravis All Season has a robust and durable construction, for longevity and reduced downtime periods. It also has A-grade wet grip on the EU tyre label, alongside Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) and Mud and Snow (M+S) certification. Bridgestone says the tyre targets both small and large fleets looking to maximise business efficiency on the same tyres year-round.
Apollo Tyres has introduced the Endumaxx brand of tyres for light trucks in India. The company described light truck radial demand as having “a potential of 112,000 tyres per month in India, and it is growing at a much faster pace than any other segment”.
Giti Tire has launched the GT Radial Maxmiler AllSeason, a four-season tyre for the European van and light truck markets. Carrying the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol of its sidewall, the product is initially available in 13 SKUs with 15C-16C” rims, section widths from 195-235 and series sizes from 65-75. Load indices range from 104-115.
ATS Euromaster has Mark Lynch appointed as a new operations director to drive the company’s development in the light vehicle market, following the decision in October 2018 to merge its heavy vehicle business with Tructyre.
Artic Trucks
Tyrepress.com / Stephen Goodchild
SMMT
Tordiantor; Pixabay
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Firestone
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