India’s anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made TBR tyres are scheduled to expire this month, but tyre association ATMA requested a review of these on behalf of Apollo Tyres, JK Tyre & Industries and MRF. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies published the results of this Sunset Review on 16 September, recommending the government continue charging duties for a further three years.
Apollo Tyres says its EnduRace RD2 has proven a great success since its launch last year. The existing size 315/80 R22.5 tyre will soon be joined by two further dimensions. As of this month, Apollo EnduRace RD2 is also available as a 315/70 R22.5 product, while a 295/80 R22.5 version will arrive next March.
Generational change is taking place within Continental’s commercial tyre range for regional applications. A new trailer tyre has joined the Conti Hybrid Generation 3+ line-up, while an update to the Conti EcoRegional range brings us new steer and drive tyres.
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.
Reporting market trends for the month of June, Michelin notes that the current shortage of semiconductors strongly dampened recovery within the global automotive industry, which impacted upon sales of original equipment passenger vehicle and light truck tyres.
This summer, Hankook Tyre UK will exhibit its growing range of truck, bus and van tyres, including the new Laufenn truck tyre range, at the Commercial Vehicle Show. The UK’s largest and most comprehensive road transport and commercial vehicle event will take place between 31 August and 2 September; Hankook can be found in Hall 5, at stand 5B50.
From 1 May, the new EU rules on the energy labelling of on-road tyres apply at consumer level. Updating the label first introduced for car and van tyres in 2012, the new rules require that tyres for buses and lorries must now be labelled – and offer a new pictogram, where relevant, to highlight tyres suitable for use in snow or in extreme, icy conditions.
Apollo Tyres aims to gain a foothold in the North American commercial vehicle market with tyres produced at its plants in Europe and India. The roll-out of commercial vehicle tyres in the USA and Canada follows the introduction of a comprehensive passenger vehicle range, but this time the tyre maker will market its products under the Apollo brand rather than as Vredestein tyres. Apollo Tyres says the launches of both ranges have been preceded by years of in-market research and planning.
Multi-brand commercial fleet specialist Tructyre is part of the global Michelin group and Euromaster family. As is the case for many companies, Tructyre has found the past 12 months challenging, and it has focused on managing the impacts of the pandemic and helping to keep customers moving throughout the crisis.
Prinx Chengshan reports that its new tyre factory in Thailand produced its first commercial vehicle all-steel radial on 25 March. The first phase production project at the Prinx Chengshan Tire (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is now expected to be concluded in the second quarter of this year, giving the facility an annual capacity to produce 800,000 TBR tyres. The plant is also capable of manufacturing 4 million passenger car and light truck tyres a year.
UK-based Eavesway Travel has specified Apollo Tyres’ Endurace range as fitment on 30 executive coaches in operation on the company’s Eavesway Cruiselink operation. With decades of experience in catering for cruise passengers, Eavesway Travel’s premier coach service offers transport to the main cruise providers from major towns and cities across the UK.
