Andrew is an editor for WhatTyre, Tyrepress, and Tyres & Accessories magazine. He has more than a decade of experience in editing, writing, and journalism.
Giti Tire has updated its Giti GAU867v1 all-position urban bus tyre range. The manufacturer’s developed tyre is particularly targeting the growing electric bus market. It is manufactured to handle higher load and improve wear resistance. Giti has also added a new size to the range in the 265/70R19.5 143/141 J. The existing 275/70R22.5 size now has an updated load index of 152/148 J.
GRI has commenced its supply of original equipment tyres to the KION Group, one of the world’s leading providers of industrial trucks and supply chain solutions. KION selected GRI’s Ultimate XT premium plus tyre for its Linde Material Handling forklift trucks, produced in Germany. GRI manufactures its speciality tyres in Sri Lanka, using some of the latest technology and locally sourced natural rubber. It calls the OE deal a milestone for its product development.
Jinyu’s Vietnamese tyre plant has produced its first TBR tyre. The milestone for the new facility caps nine months of intense construction, as the project team of Jinyu (Vietnam) Tire Co, Ltd overcome multiple challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic. The facility includes 19 buildings over 130,000 square meters, containing 894 pieces of equipment. The production of the first tyre at 10:08 on 30 March 2021 marks the completion of the production line and lays a solid foundation for the start of volume production in May.
Yokohama’s Advan Sport V107 has been approved for fitment on the Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4MATIC. The SUV went on sale in Europe in December 2019. The GLB 35 can be outfitted with 21-inch 255/35ZR21 98Y size Advan Sport V107 tyres. The deal expands Yokohama’s already thriving relationship with Mercedes-AMG.
Yokohama is supplying its Advan Sport V107 tyres to BMW for the manufacturer’s new iX3. The German marque’s first sports activity vehicle (SAV) with an all-electric-drive system uses three sizes of the Advan Sport V107 on the new electric SAV: 245/50R19 105W, 245/45R20 103W, and 275/40R20 106W. Yokohama began shipping the tyres to the BMW Group in September 2020.
Continental has become the first tyre manufacturer to order Ansible Motion’s all-new advanced Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulator, the Delta S3. Simulation technology, which is now capable of modelling tyre performance to an extreme degree of accuracy, is increasingly employed by car manufacturers and original equipment suppliers, such as tyre manufacturers. Conti’s decision to bring in the latest DIL simulation technology is informed by the need to mirror its OEM customers’ development processes, but the system’s most important effect will be the efficiency benefits it delivers, as Dr. Boris Mergell, head of research and development of the Tires business area at Continental, explains. “Developing and testing premium tyres is a highly complex, time-intensive process. By using the new dynamic driving simulator, we will make this development process even more efficient in the future.”
Yokohama Tire Corporation will open a new 430,000sqft distribution centre in Wilmer, Texas in summer 2021. The company will first distribute Yokohama’s OE tyres from the facility, about 15 miles southeast of Dallas, followed by passenger car/light truck and commercial truck/bus products in 2022. Yokohama operates three other distribution centres in the US: Chino, California; Groveport, Ohio; and Auburn, Georgia.
Three of the top ten best-selling cars in Europe are SUVs. The growth of this market is such that the meaning of the terms has come to encompass a broad range of vehicle applications. Broadly though, a motorist can expect an elevated driving position, hatchback practicality mixed with some degree of all-terrain ability, and rugged looks. Handling a wide range of conditions and environments is a big part of their appeal, meaning tyre technology in the SUV segment needs to support these applications, as as Thomas Gesenhoff, technical project manager at Goodyear, explains.
Goodyear has appointed Kate Rock-Rees as its new head of external communications EMEA. In her new position, Rock-Rees will be responsible for proactively shaping the corporate reputation strategy for the EMEA region, the company states. She will also become “a steward of Goodyear’s corporate brand-building initiatives,” the company adds. Such initiatives include Goodyear’s Better Future corporate responsibility programme.
Birla Carbon has appointed Dr Ann Schoeb as chief research and development officer. Dr Schoeb will have full responsibility for research and development work at Birla Carbon and will join the company’s senior management team. She reports to John Loudermilk, chief operating officer.
Goodyear brand Sava has launched a new all-season tyre with fitments between 14 and 18 inches. The Sava All Weather is designed for versatile performance in varied road conditions. It carries the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol (3PMSF), certifying its winter performance. The tyre is the latest all-season product from parent company Goodyear, whose 2020 launched Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 was recently named both the All-Season Tyre of the Year and overall Tyre of the Year by Tyrepress sister site WhatTyre.com. The Sava All-Weather features a similar V-shaped tread design to its premium stablemate, with a range of technologies designed to improve life and fuel efficiency as well as all-season capabilities.
GRI has held the latest in its series of events organised through its GREEN X Circle initiative. GRI’s Monaragala, Sri Lanka event brought together natural rubber and rice farmers to show their connectivity. Both farming communities are key stakeholders in the GRI value chain, the Sri Lankan speciality and agricultural tyre manufacturer states. The initiative’s purpose is to foster connectivity and collaboration between the two farming ecosystems while placing emphasis on sustainability principles.
Il Taik Jung has been appointed Kumho Tire president and CEO. Jung joined the company in 1988 having previously held several senior positions. These include head of both the R&D Centre and Quality Division. Kumho states that these experiences are among the strengths that have led to his latest promotion. Jung is tasked with promoting an agile organisation culture that can quickly react to changing tyre markets and consumer needs at Kumho, the company states. Jung says that “R&D technology is the means by which future responsiveness in a competitive environment is best developed.”
Avon Tyres and two-time Isle of Man TT race winner and former British Supersport champion Steve Plater has become brand ambassador for Avon’s motorcycle tyre range. Avon has been working closely with Plater in recent months to enhance the 3D Ultra Xtreme and 3D Ultra Xtreme Slick products. Designed and manufactured in the UK, the 3D Ultra Xtreme and 3D Ultra Xtreme Slick, along with the wet-weather 3D Ultra Xtreme Rain Racer, are high-performance tyres developed with demanding track use in mind. Cooper has previously introduced brand ambassadors for particular product ranges, like Formula 1’s David Coulthard, who represented Cooper UHP tyres.
The Sailun Group is ramping up production at its plants in China and Vietnam. The manufacturer brought its newest truck tyre plant in Shenyang, China onstream in November 2020, giving it an additional 3.3 million units of all-steel truck radial capacity. In addition, Sailun plans to invest RMB 719.9 million (£81.3 million) to upgrade production at recently acquired manufacturer Shandong Anchi Tyres in Weifang, giving it the capacity to produce 1.2 million truck and bus radials and 6 million high performance passenger car and light truck tyres a year. Most recently, Sailun confirmed plans for the third phase of expansion at its Sailun (Vietnam) subsidiary.
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