Techking to Launch Effiplus Passenger Car Tyre Line in 2010

After more than six months of planning, Techking is making preparations to launch a passenger car tyre range called Effiplus in January 2010. The Qingdao, China-based tyre manufacturer , which is best known for its OTR tyres, has already arranged a substantial off-take agreement with an as-yet unnamed Chinese tyremaker. Marketing manager Ben Zhang refused to reveal exact details of which manufacturer the company would be working with, but Tyres & Accessories understands it will be one of China's largest producers.

Techking opted to make the move into the passenger car sector after a couple of factories approached it with the suggestion that the company should capitalise on its international links and sell car products in the numerous markets it sells OTR tyres in. The first phase of the passenger car tyre project will see the company launch the new UHP, SUV and winter ranges (generally up to 17-inch diameters) in Europe, Australia and perhaps South America. The plan is to sell the the tyres direct to dealers in these respective markets, rather than distributing through importers.

While Zhang stresses that the company is still researching its wider distribution strategy, the company is currently operating to a five-year plan which pitches the company’s new Effiplus tyres alongside the likes of Kenda, Maxxis and Giti. So far the company’s plans are to develop and distribute its current range, while researching the next and simultaneously planning the third generation of its new products – a strategy Zhang calls 1-1-1. Future plans include for 20 to 26-inch products, retail POS support and even Techking-brand Services Centres as and when this becomes viable. In the meantime the company is hoping to capitalise on the reportedly fuel efficient nature of its new Effiplus “powered by Techking” brand.

See December Tyres & Accessories for complete coverage.