One of the world’s best-known wheel brands is making a comeback in the UK. Aftermarket alloy wheel supplier Wheelwright reports that British buyers will soon once again be able to get their hands upon Momo rims and also kit their cars out with Momo tyres.
WheelRight is involved in The Ray – a unique project in the USA designed to showcase new technologies that will create a blueprint for the sustainable motorways of tomorrow.
WheelRight is urging motorists to remember the importance of tyre safety during Road Safety Week (21-27 November). Originally devised by highways charity Brake, Road Safety Week brings together local authorities, schools and motorists to highlight the importance of safe driving.
WheelRight believes that plans to raise the minimum legal car tyre tread depth from 1.6mm to 3mm “are like moving the goalposts before the team has even run onto the pitch”. John Catling, CEO of the UK-based technology business thinks setting even higher standards of tread depth could be counter-productive as long as so few drivers continue to regularly check their tyres.
John Catling said: “According to the results of a live pilot study we conducted at Keele Services on the southbound M6 earlier this year, most women (55%) admitted to rarely checking their tyres. Their male counterparts did not score much better, with just 66% claiming to undertake monthly checks.
WheelRight, which uses an external drive-over device to measure tyre pressures, recently won a European safety award at an exhibition in Holland (InterTraffic).
The Safety Innovation Award went to WheelRight for its drive-over tyre monitoring technology. This solution measures tyre pressure and vehicle weight as a vehicle drives over road-embedded sensors. WheelRight therefore measures every vehicle in a fleet from day one, instantly identifying the vehicle by its number plate, and reporting any problems within seconds.
WheelRight is to showcase its tyre pressure monitoring solution at the CV Show (26-28 April, NEC Birmingham – stand 5H130) for the first time following its live trial at motorway services on the M6
Developed in conjunction with Highways England, the technology recently concluded a successful year-long trial at WelcomeBreak Keele services on the southbound M6. As part of this landmark study, WheelRight’s solution measured more than 150,000 tyres – 50,000 of which were from HGVs.
Leading tyre pressure monitoring solutions provider WheelRight has achieved a top five placing at the UK’s first intellectual property (IP) league table. The company, which has developed a ground-breaking ‘drive over’ tyre pressure monitoring technology used by both motorists and HGV drivers, was ranked fifth in the ‘best trade secret’ intellectual property asset class.
A safer roads service that allows car, van and lorry drivers to quickly check their vehicle’s tyre pressures before resuming motorway journeys has been extended until the end of the year. The project was launched in April 2015 for an initial three month trial period, but was so successful – with more than 1,000 vehicles being tested a week – that the decision was taken to continue the scheme through to Thursday 31 December.
Following the launch of the WheelRright’s free drive-over pressure check initiative at Keele services M6 south in March, the company has released details of the programme’s first findings.
Following on from the news that WheelRight is piloting a few pressure check system at Keele services on the M6, Tyres & Accessories considers what the potential is for a networked tyre monitoring system. As unusual as an external tyre pressure monitoring system is, the obvious question with WheelRight is not “how does it work?”, but rather “why are they doing this?” Of course, the Keele pressure bay trial offers a good bit of safety awareness, but there is a business case too. From T&A’s point of view the most interesting answer to our own question is two-fold -retail networks and big data.
WheelRight and the Highways Agency are trialling a drive-over tyre pressure measuring system at Keele Services between junctions 15 and 16 of the M6 (southbound) in what is thought to be a world first. The pilot scheme, which is running in association with motorway services firm Welcome Break, centres on a novel system that measures tyre pressure without any on-board equipment and without drivers having to leave their vehicles.
WheelRight launched a mobile version of its tyre pressure monitoring system during the last month. The system measures tyre pressure on vehicles including cars and commercial vehicles using a rollover plate and then sends readings to the user’s mobile phone.
Companies can now also trial the mobile device for a 24-hour period, according to the company. The idea is that fleets will be able to see for themselves the benefits of moving from monthly to daily pressure checks in gaining instant tyre pressure readings for each vehicle when upgrading to an installed unit.
WheelRight, the firm which has been recently promoting an award-winning off-vehicle pressure monitoring system, has confirmed its membership to the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP).
Set up 11 years ago, the LowCVP operates to move the UK to low carbon vehicles and fuels, and works with its 200 members to promote low carbon opportunities, research in the field and accelerate the take up of lower carbon choices.
Private equity firm Calculus Capital has invested £2.5 million in WheelRight Ltd, the tyre pressure monitoring company.
Richard Moore, Investment Director, Calculus Capital said: “We are very excited to invest in WheelRight and its market-leading, patented technology. The WheelRight sensor array provides a very hi-tech solution to a practical, every day problem. It will help to lower the costs of motoring, reduce the number of road accidents and limit carbon emissions. We are pleased to be able to support a leading UK technology company that has developed a product with significant global potential.”
