This author has yet to write their bio.Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Stephen contributed a whooping 5407 entries.
The days are getting shorter and cooler, but we don’t need to go outdoors to realise that winter is fast approaching – the glut of seasonal tyre tests give the game away. European motoring associations ADAC, TCS and ÖAMTC are readying their members by testing winter tyres in two dimensions. Here we look at 225/45 R17, a popular size for cars such as the Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class and – the test team’s chosen vehicle – the VW Golf.
To celebrate the launch of the new www.tyreequipmentdirect.com e-commerce site, Tyre Equipment Direct is offering all workshop owners and operators ten per cent off of the first order they make online. This discount is available for everything listed on the website, including all types of garage equipment, and can be obtained simply by entering enter the promotional code ‘TYRESANDACCESSORIES10’ at checkout.
In the preamble to its 2023 winter tyre test, SUV and 4×4 specialist publication Auto Bild Allrad argues that tyres play an even more important role than all-wheel drive when piloting a vehicle in wintry conditions. While employing four driving wheels instead of two undoubtedly improves traction, this only represents one aspect of vehicle safety – when it comes to braking and negotiating curves, tyres are decisive.
As reported on Monday, the Renault Group will distribute Leonard retreaded car tyres in France via the 4,900 points of distribution in its brand network. We reached out to Groupe Renault to find out more, and Christopher Le Coq, the company’s strategic partnerships & business development manager, told us a little about the line-up Renault will offer.
Visitors to next month’s Agritechnica show in Germany won’t be able to walk ten metres without the risk of tripping over farm equipment, but perhaps only one of the more than 2,400 exhibitors present will have brought more than 30,000 footballs with them. That exhibitor is off-highway tyre specialist BKT.
At next month’s Agritechnica fair in Germany, ZC Rubber will present the latest additions to the Tianli agricultural tyre range, the Agri King VF agricultural radial for high horsepower tractors and Land Care cross-ply tyre for wheeled excavators and backhoe loaders.
Winter tyres are niche products in the UK but make a lot of sense in particular situations. High-powered performance cars, for example, may benefit from the added grip that season-specific rubber provides. Auto Bild Sportscars has evaluated 11 brands of tyre in size 225/40 R18 to gauge performance in snowy, wet and dry conditions. Four tyres gain the motoring publication’s highest recommendation, but Auto Bild Sportscars also warns against bad eggs in the basket.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated Goodyear’s near-term and net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. SBTi evaluated the tyre maker’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 near-term target ambition and determined this to be “in line with a trajectory of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” The SBTi team also evaluated the Scope 1, 2 and 3 long-term target ambition and considers this aligned with its 1.5°C mitigation pathways for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Formula One is sticking with Pirelli as tyre supplier for the 2025 to 2027 seasons, but Bridgestone comments that both the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Formula One Group (FOG) responded favourably to its proposed “advanced innovative technology and sustainability initiatives.” Furthermore, the Japanese manufacturer doesn’t rule out throwing its hat into the F1 ring at a later date.
Falken tyre brand manufacturer Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has a new means of verifying supply chain transparency for the natural rubber it utilises. Its procurement company Sumitomo Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd. been using the Rubberway solution since July 2023, and SRI emphasises that “being part of this industry initiative will accelerate sustainable procurement of natural rubber.”
A new Haweka electrohydraulic tyre changer has been developed for workshops servicing trucks, buses, agricultural vehicles and construction machinery. The Haweka TB30 features a clamping device suitable for 14- to 30-inch wheel diameters and a maximum tyre diameter of 1,640mm and width of up to 850 mm.
Kwik Fit has chosen Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), the organisation that champions and supports the lifesaving work of the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities, as its national charity partner. Through Air Ambulances UK, Kwik Fit will raise funds for all 21 regional charities as well as help increase local and national awareness of their essential missions.
National motor factor GSF Car Parts has announced a new commitment to introduce accredited mental health training to its team members. The launch of this programme yesterday ties in with World Mental Health Day, a day to raise awareness of the importance of mental health support.
German end-of-life tyre (ELT) recycling specialist Pyrum Innovations AG plans to build a Pyrum pyrolysis plant in the Czech Republic together with a local energy company. This facility, located near the border with Germany, will have the capacity to process 20,000 tonnes of ELTs a year and is scheduled to start operations in 2025.
Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro) reports having developed a new type of recovered carbon black with improved dispersion properties. It developed this new type of carbon black to meet demand from the tyre and rubber industry and has produced the material at its plant in Åsensbruk, Sweden ”for some time” now.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
