Andrew is an editor for WhatTyre, Tyrepress, and Tyres & Accessories magazine. He has more than a decade of experience in editing, writing, and journalism.
Hankook Tyre UK has appointed David Block as national accounts manager. Block has more than 20 years’ experience in the tyre industry. He will work to develop sales of Hankook car and light truck tyres in the UK. Hankook states that Block’s extensive experience in various tyre industry positions will allow him to “provide an added value of customer service, whilst building and strengthening his customer base.”
The UK is taking steps forward in automated technology in vehicles with the launch of a call for evidence on 18 August 2020 to help shape how innovative new systems could be used in future on GB roads. The call for evidence will look at the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) – an automated system that can take over control of the vehicle at low speeds, keeping it in lane on motorways.
VARTA has joined The Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) in the UK. Technical sales manager at VARTA, Andy Cook, has confirmed the new association with the organisation, saying: “Clarios, the Company behind the VARTA brand, is the largest battery manufacturer in the world, and that status naturally comes with longstanding and successful OE partnerships on a global basis, so joining OESSA makes perfect sense for us. Our new membership will help us support the independent garage further, especially in the area of new technology, where we have battery expertise on features like start-stop, where 8 out of 10 start-stop cars fitted with an AGM technology battery, is one of ours.”
The Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England is urging the government to bring forward the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles to 2030. The government is in the process of analysing feedback from its consultation on the ban, which has already been brought forward from 2040 to 2035.
The NTDA has cancelled the 2020 Tyre Industry Conference, Annual Dinner and Tyre Industry Awards. The event was scheduled for Thursday 5 November at the VOX Conference Centre Birmingham. It is the first time the annual dinner has been cancelled since its first edition in 1930. NTDA chief executive Stefan Hay said that the decision had not been taken lightly. It was initially hoped that the event would go ahead as per the government’s scheduled restart date for business events of 1 October, and is a reminder that the Covid-19 situation continues to overshadow UK business planning. The 2021 Tyre Industry Conference and Annual Dinner and Awards is scheduled to take place on 7 October in Birmingham.
Norwegian waste tyre recycling company Wastefront has chosen Port of Sunderland as the location for its first plant. Construction will begin in 2021. The company says that on completion it will be “the greenest waste tyre recycling plant in the UK.” The plant will convert locally-sourced End-of-Life Tyre (ELT) waste into useful commodities, including liquid hydrocarbons and carbon black, which can then be reutilised in processes such as alternative fuel or ground rubber manufacturing. The construction of the plant is expected to generate around 100 jobs in the region and, once fully up and running in the second half of 2022, the plant will employ up to 30 people full time. It is estimated the investment will be around £25 million.
Hankook has collaborated with violinist David Garrett and composer Franck van der Heijden for a performance of the official UEFA Europa League anthem. Captured in a video titled ‘Symphony of Silence’, the performance aims to capture feelings about the empty stadiums hosting 2020 sporting events due to pandemic restrictions. The 2019/20 European club football season, including the Hakook supported Europa League, is completing its final stages without fans. Garrett’s performance was captured by Luke Bannister, five-time world champion in first person view drone racing, in an empty stadium to reflect this experience. The video will premiere on YouTube, Instagram, and Hankook’s website today (Thursday, 20 August, at 21:00 CET) one day ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final 2020.
Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) has announced that it is to axe 160 jobs at its Scottish facilities at Falkirk and Larbert. The news comes just one month after the company said that up to 650 jobs were at risk at its sites in the UK.
Bridgestone Southern Africa (BSAF) has announced that it will close its bias tyre manufacturing plant in Port Elizabeth, a decision affecting 252 employees. The move is in line with the company’s plans to focus on premium profitable growth segments. The Port Elizabeth plant is geared towards the production of older bias tyres, which are globally in decline and being phased out in South Africa, due to their unprofitability. BSAF is also feeling the effects of a shrinking economy and an influx of cheap imports, leading to its operational restructuring plan. It added that the conversion of the plant to produce radial tyres would require a multi-billion-rand investment, which it deemed unfeasible in the current economy.
Early in 2020 the UK government suggested a tentative plan to ban the export of all end of life tyres (ELTs). The timing was unfortunate, with the challenges of the rest of 2020 becoming increasingly apparent at the start of spring. However, with strict recycling, energy from waste, and environmental targets to meet over the next twenty years or so, many companies are pressing ahead in raising awareness and innovating within the broad recycling sector. ELTs represent a particularly important part of the new era in recycling introduced by the UK’s Environment Bill, not least because of new and incoming measures internal and external against used and end of life tyre exports, a popular, yet often damaging solution to the problem. Rory Hughes, technical director at IRR Waste 2 Energy, and a waste and recycling expert with more than 35 experience in the industry, told Tyrepress why adopting a more holistic approach to tyre recycling is the way forward.
UK-EU negotiations for a post-Brexit trade deal resume for their seventh round in Brussels today (18 August). David Leggett, automotive analyst at data and analytics company GlobalData, stresses the importance of a trade deal to the UK’s automotive industry.
Schaeffler’s technical manager Alistair Mason has addressed the practical health & safety issues of getting back to work, as well as several technical matters that are becoming increasingly relevant to workshops, and how the company’s Repxperts are helping technicians deal with these challenges.
Learn more about how garages are protecting staff and customers in our ‘Kick-starting your tyre business‘ webinar.
The automotive replacement parts manufacturer, Trico Group, has announced its new name: First Brands Group, along with the addition of two new brands to its growing portfolio. The company said the adoption of its new identity “reflects its position as a multi-brand global player.” First Brands Group also announced the acquisition of two market-leading US manufacturing companies: brake parts specialist Brake Parts Inc (BPI) and filtration expert, Champion Laboratories Inc (Champ Labs).
Mobile tyre fitting specialist Mid Beds Tyres says it is benefiting from improved traction and an increased range of up to 40 miles per tank of fuel as a result of replacing the original equipment tyres on its MAN TGE 4×4 van with a set of Michelin Agilis CrossClimates. The company removed the original equipment rubber after just 15,000 miles in service; the Agilis CrossClimate tyres have clocked-up 35,000 miles with 6mm of tread still remaining.
Figures released by the SMMT reveal that used car sales in Q2 2020 were 1,039,303 units; -48.9 per cent down on the same period last year (2,034,236). Year to date, the figures are slightly less depressing, with YtD clocking up 2,891.222 sales, as opposed to 4,054,380 for the first six months of 2019 – a -28.7 per cent fall.
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