Tyre News in Numbers – April 2024

Tyres & Accessories’ monthly ‘Tyres News in Numbers’ column boils down the latest tyre industry news to the most important statistics of the month. Below, we look at the big numbers from the April 2024 magazine.

87.3%

The proportion of sustainable and bio sourced material – including Sri Lankan natural rubber sourced in the manufacturer’s home market, recycled carbon black, HD Silica, and Soybean oil contained within the GRI Green XLR Earth radial agricultural tyre.

93.5%

The proportion of sustainable and bio sourced material contained within the GRI Ultimate Green XT material handling tyre. Like the agricultural tyre, the solid tyre is available in a distinctive green colour.

12,500

The number of family homes that could be powered annually by the 150 gigawatt hours Continental Tires’ 160 energy-saving projects saved in 2023.

13,000

The number of prototype tyres Goodyear estimates it will no longer produce annually having officially opened its Simulation Center in Luxembourg, fitted with a DiM250 DYNAMIC Driving Simulator developed by VI-grade.

-55%

The reduction in absolute emissions targeted by Sumitomo Rubber Industries by 2030 versus 2017 levels.

100 µm

The average size of tyre wear particles, the size of a human hair, comprising around 50 per cent tyre rubber, with the remainder made up of road components and minerals, according to a recent survey by Michelin.

12 years

Length of on-site Power Purchase Agreement deal signed by steel wire and coating technologies firm Bekaert and Edison Next to support decarbonisation at Bekaert’s plant in Sardinia, Italy.

10.1%

February 2024’s year-on-year rise in car sales in the European Union. Hybrid-electric car sales were particularly strong, rising 24.7 per cent to capture nearly 29.0 per cent of the market.

2,300 jobs

Number of jobs affected by the closure of Continental Automotive’s (non-tyre) Wetzlar and Schwalbach sites in Germany – 1,100 jobs will be relocated to facilities in Frankfurt and Babenhausen, while Conti will cut around 1,200 roles.

£500,000

Amount LXQ Academy is investing in opening 10 new training centres in the UK over the next two years. A Manchester branch opens in April, following the centres in Glasgow and the company’s Tamworth T1 base, while three sites in the south of England will come later this year.

€600 million

New credit line secured by Pirelli, scheduled to mature in October 2028.

10th

Anniversary celebrated this year by Vimexa Automotive BV.

7 out of 9

The proportion of 2024 tyre tests tracked by Tyres & Accessories won by Continental in February and March 2024.

800,000

The number of tyres that can be stored at Bridgestone’s new “smart logistics facility” for tyre storage at its Burgos site in Spain.

$2 million

The amount invested in expanding Titan International’s Des Moines facility in the USA, including the addition of two new 104-inch curing tyre presses that will accommodate the recently expanded AgraEDGE tyre line.