Family-owned construction machinery manufacturer Liebherr has approved E3/L3 and E4/L4 variants of the Continental EM Master tyre range for its wheel loader portfolio. Since early 2020, Liebherr dealers and end users have been able to order vehicles fitted with EM Master tyres direct from the Liebherr factory.
The Sailun Group is investing around RMB 1 billion (£110.6 million) to boost passenger car tyre capacity at its factory in Dongying, Shandong Province to 27 million tyres a year. This growth will take place as part of Sailun’s ‘HP Tire Expansion Project’ and is considered a “necessary guarantee for the group to impact the domestic mid/high-end OE market.”
Goodyear claims that it has achieved an industry first, having developed an all-season tyre with both the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) sidewall marking an A-rated fuel efficiency on the EU tyre label. The new tyre, which Goodyear confirmed to Tyres & Accessories is the third generation of its test-winning Vector 4Seasons line, was conducted jointly by Goodyear’s technology teams in Luxembourg and Germany, in conjunction with original equipment manufacturers, leveraging tread pattern developments present in its all-season lines for the replacement market, as well as new rubber compounding formulations.
Japanese construction, mining, forestry and military equipment manufacturer Komatsu recently approved several Continental EM Master tyre models as original equipment for the Komatsu Dash 8 wheel loader series. As of January 2020, purchasers of WA270-8, WA320-8, WA380-8, WA470-8, WA-480-8 and WA500-8 models can select E3/L3 or E4/L4 versions of the EM Master in sizes 20.5 R25, 23.5 R25, 26.5 R25 or 29.5 R25.
Eight premium and mid-range tyres are the subject of the latest summer tyre test from car magazine Gute Fahrt. The German publication chose to look at 215/50 R18, a popular size for smaller SUVs. Testing was performed using a VW T-Roc, and the Gute Fahrt team benchmarked the eight tyres against the T-Roc’s original equipment rubber.
The Kion Group has chosen Trelleborg Wheel Systems as its preferred main supplier for non-marking tyres in the European market. As such, the manufacturer will fit Trelleborg non-marking resilient solid tyres as first choice on the counterbalanced forklift trucks it produces for use in indoor environments where floor care is essential.
This year got off to a good start, says Linglong Tire. Between 7 and 9 January, a team from Man Truck & Bus visited the Linglong International Tire (Thailand) Co., Ltd facility in Rayong, Thailand. The MAN team, responsible for auditing potential suppliers, spent three days at the truck and bus tyre plant. After it passed the MAN potential supplier audit, the team entered the facility into the MAN supplier system.
Pirelli has inaugurated a new driving simulator at its research and development division in Milan. The manufacturer says it is using its experience with simulation in Formula 1 to accelerate road tyre development cycles and tyre testing, reducing lead times and reinforcing partnerships with leading car makers with increased agility. Pirelli is the latest premium brand tyre maker to implement new simulation technology into its R&D department, following announcements by Michelin and Goodyear. The Italian brand adds that the new simulator is the latest instalment of its digitalisation strategy.
For the generations raised in the late 20th century, the idea of travel simulators raises images of a capsule for eight people moved around with hydraulics to match a film, or perhaps contestants tasked with landing a plane on The Krypton Factor. Since those heady days, exponential increases in computer processing power and the ability to model a rapidly increasing range of sensory outputs from a highly complex web of inputs. Compared to the relatively broad strokes of retro aeronautical simulation, the convincingly realistic representation of the driving environment has become a legitimate source of automotive research and development. The latest simulation technology is increasingly making its way into tyre development as a means of increasing the efficiency of product development. With Michelin’s announcement that it would install a new Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulator at its North America Research & Development centre in Greenville, South Carolina, USA, Tyres & Accessories got in touch with its manufacturer Ansible Motion and its international manager for the company’s commercial group, Phil Morse to talk about the increasing prevalence of human-in-the-loop simulation within tyre and vehicle development, and the opportunities it offers.
Hankook tyres have been fitted as original equipment on Schmitz Cargobull trailers over the past decade under a growing partnership. The two companies have now extended this partnership for an additional three years. The cooperation, which began in 2013, will thus continue until the end of 2022.
The Kawasaki Z series has been around since 1972, but Pirelli reckons the new Z H2 is the “most radical” model to join the range in the last 48 years. The most powerful too, thanks to a supercharged 998 cc engine that delivers 147.1 kW (197 hp). This power reaches the road via Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres, Kawasaki’s original equipment tyre of choice for its latest naked bike.
India’s car market leader Maruti Suzuki has unveiled a new concept vehicle ahead of the Auto Expo 2020 show, which begins tomorrow. Called the Concept Futuro-e, the SUV coupe gives a taste of what can be expected from the car maker’s ‘Mission Green Million’ plan to sell a million low emission vehicles in the next few years. Yokohama has developed a BluEarth tyre for the concept.
Kumho’s long-standing relationship with Volkswagen has continued with the fitment of Kumho’s ecowing ES31 pattern on its 2020 Polo model. Specially tailored for the car, the 185/65R15 tyre is Kumho’s first ultra-low rolling resistance version of the ES31, with A-grade fuel efficiency and wet grip on the EU label. The 2001 Polo was Kumho’s first major European motor manufacturer OE contract.
