Apollo Tyres is investing in agricultural tyre production at its Enschede plant in the Netherlands. With the addition of new equipment for producing tyres up to 2.30 metres in diameter, the company aims to increase its agricultural tyre volumes in Europe and North America.
Capacities at Apollo Tyres Ltd.’s production facilities in Europe were 88 per cent utilised between March and June 2022. The utilisation figure for the tyre maker’s plants in India was around 85 per cent, reports chief financial officer Gaurav Kumar. This gives the company little leeway for further growth in volumes, but Apollo Tyres believes it can address this issue without resorting to a greenfield or brownfield capacity expansion project.
Following a five-year global research and development programme, Apollo Tyres is launching its first dedicated all-terrain tyre: the Vredestein Pinza. Designed to be the “most capable off-road Vredestein tyre ever” while at the same time offering “superior standards of on-road grip, traction, rolling resistance and refinement,” Apollo says the Pinza has “the best balance of on- and off-road capabilities of any all-terrain tyre on the market.”
Key wear resistance qualities previously found on the Vredestein Traxion+ now feature in the Traxion 70 thanks to a complete renewal of the brand’s 70-series line-up. Apollo Tyres released the first dimensions in the new 15 size, 25 SKU range this month; all are available in the aftermarket, and a number of tractor manufacturers will also fit Traxion 70 as original equipment.
A new Vredestein tyre specifically developed for electric vehicles (EVs) will debut later this year. Sharing a few details about this upcoming all-season product, Apollo Tyres says it is currently evaluating the tyre through computer simulation and at proving grounds around the world following a “major new research and development programme” that includes close collaboration with leading car manufacturers.
Apollo Tyres reports revenue of Rs 209.48 billion (£2.22 billion) for the financial year ending 31 March 2021, 20 per cent higher than during the prior fiscal year. EBITDA declined 8.0 per cent year-on-year to Rs 25.74 billion (£272.59 million), with the EBITDA margin contracting 379 Bps to 12.3 per cent. Net profit stands at Rs 6.39 billion (£67.67 million).
The BMW Group has selected Apollo Tyres’ Vredestein Ultrac tyres as original equipment for the all-new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, which went on sale across Europe from March 2022. Produced at Apollo Tyres’ Gyöngyöshalász plant in Hungary, the Vredestein tyres chosen by the BMW Group will be supplied in three sizes: 205/65R16 95W, 205/60R17 97W XL and 225/50R18 99W XL, each marked with a star symbol on the sidewall to indicate that they are a bespoke product for the BMW Group. This is the first time that Apollo Tyres has secured an original equipment deal with a BMW Group business.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has selected Apollo Tyres’ latest Vredestein Quatrac all-season tyre as original equipment for the new Caddy. It will fit the Quatrac in 205/65R15 99H XL to selected Caddy models manufactured at the Volkswagen production facility in Poznan, Poland.
With summer approaching, Auto Bild Sportscars has delivered a timely test of 15 tyre combinations. The publication examined 11 brands in the all-round size 225/45 R18 and four as a mixed 225/45 (front) and 255/40 R18 (rear) fitment, taking each set “to the limit and a bit beyond” with a series of tests in wet and dry conditions. The goal was to identify the “tops and flops” on the market this season.
Apollo Tyres is expanding its Vredestein Ultrac summer tyre range with the addition of 18 new options for 17- and 18-inch rim diameters. The Ultrac portfolio now encompasses 63 different 15- to 18-inch dimensions.
Tyre comparison website Tyre Reviews has put ten popular tyres for performance cars to the test, making the brand-new Continental SportContact 7 a winner in its first outing on the independent assessment circuit. Reviewer Jonathan Benson fitted the ten tyre combinations to a BMW-powered Toyota Supra in sizes 255/35 R19 (front) and 275/35 R19 (rear) for the test, which he conducted over nine disciplines at Conti’s Contidrom facility. Given that the tyre was proven at the circuit, and is at least 12 months newer than any other product in this test, it is perhaps a little unsurprising that the SportContact 7 prevailed, but with reasonably comfortable first-place finishes in the dry and wet handling and braking tests, Tyre Reviews concludes that the tyre sets “a new standard for the UUHP segment.”
Swedish tyre wholesaler is now the exclusive distributor of the Vredestein range of car, light commercial and classic tyres in Sweden and Finland. Apollo Tyres will end direct sales to retailers of these Vredestein tyre categories as of 1 March 2022 and instead actively support Amring in further building the brand’s market share in these two markets. Apollo Tyres Nordic AB will continue selling Apollo TBR and OHT products directly in all Nordic markets.
Apollo Tyres aims to be the “easiest tyre company to do business with” and is implementing organisational changes in Europe that will help realise this goal. Parallel to a tweaking of the Vredestein brand’s positioning and pricing, Apollo is adapting its sales and marketing organisation and appointing new regional customer care managers. These changes come into play on 1 April 2022, and to find out more we spoke with Yves Pouliquen, Apollo Tyres’ head of sales and marketing for Europe.
Construction equipment firm Liebherr has approved Vredestein tyres as original equipment for several of its wheel loader models. The agreement with Apollo Tyres Ltd. sees Vredestein Endurion and Flotation Trac tyres homologated for the Liebherr compact wheel loaders L 504, L 506 and L 508.
Farming Simulator 22 has arrived, and with it a cornucopia of tyre brands that players can select for their equipment. In addition to the previously reported presence of BKT, Continental and Michelin, Vredestein is also making its debut in the simulation game. Brand owner Apollo Tyres says this initiative is part of its strategy to raise awareness of the full range of premium Vredestein agricultural products among millions of current and aspiring farmers and supplier businesses.
