Sumitomo Rubber switches to green energy in China
The Sumitomo Rubber Group’s two tyre factories in the People’s Republic of China are now operating on 100 per cent renewably sourced energy. The transition to renewable was completed this month, and Sumitomo Rubber Industries says additional measures will further increase the Changshu and Hunan plants’ sustainability credentials.
Continue ReadingTRA: India’s end-of-life tyre recycling mandate a welcome move
The Indian government’s announcement of an action plan for the management of increasing volumes of waste tyres has been welcomed by the UK Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). Despite the Indian government’s move as a “much-needed response to a growing environmental challenge”, TRA representatives commented that India’s waste tyre arisings have been “swelling exponentially but so too have imports of old tyres from many western countries”. Some of the latter have reportedly “ended up being processed in illegal or environmentally unsuitable ways”.
Continue ReadingContinental sells South Africa agricultural and industrial tyre factory assets
Continental Tyre South Africa has sold the manufacturing assets it used to make industrial and agricultural tyres in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Prior to the sale, Continental manufactured bias-ply and radial agricultural tyres at the Port Elizabeth location. Continental’s ongoing production operations, such as its passenger car and light truck lines, are not affected by the news.
Continue ReadingApollo Tyres invests in solar energy start-up
Apollo Tyres Ltd. has acquired a 27.2 shareholding in Indian solar energy firm CSE Deccan Solar, purchasing 1,166,250 shares for a total of Rs 93.3 million (approximately £919,000).
Continue ReadingSumitomo-run Blackcircles ZA brings its brand of online tyre retail to South Africa
In August 2021, the people behind Blackcircles ZA announced that the company would tap into “the enormous growth of e-commerce in the country” by launching Blackcircles.co.za in South Africa. Four months later at the end of 2021, the site went live.
Continue ReadingFocus on Europe: Delticom sells North American business
On 14 January, Delticom AG signed a contract for the sale of its majority shareholding in Delticom North America Inc. with Tire Capital LLC. The Hannover, Germany-based online tyre company expects to receive between US$7.5 million and $8 million for its 75 per cent stake in the US subsidiary, the sales price being subject to customary market adjustment mechanisms. Delticom anticipates a finalisation of the contract in the second half of February.
Continue ReadingWISAMO: Ship to test Michelin’s inflatable sail
If you weren’t aware that Michelin has developed a system of sails for larger boats and ships, then you’re not alone. But it has indeed, and presented an automated, telescopic, inflatable wing sail system that can be fitted on both merchant ships and pleasure craft at the 2021 Movin’On event. The Wing Sail Mobility (WISAMO) system will soon be installed on a ConRo vessel sailing between Spain and the UK.
Continue ReadingTyre shortage slowing North Korea down
According to US government-funded news service Radio Free Asia (RFA), North Korea is facing a shortage of tyres that is forcing many vehicles off the road. RFA explains that the tyre shortage results from the two-year-long border closure and trade ban with China imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19. It adds comments from sources who say domestic tyre production is “negligible” and importing these products has been “almost impossible.”
Continue ReadingMichelin preparing to drive on the Moon
One giant leap for Michelin. The French tyre maker has taken on the challenge to develop an airless tyre to equip the future Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). It is working on this project in conjunction with the team formed by Northrop Grumman within the framework of a tender from NASA last November. The aim for the Michelin R&D teams is to make a tyre capable of resisting the extreme conditions at the lunar pole in order to explore the lunar surface and allow a sustainable presence on the Moon in 2025, and ultimately on Mars.
Continue ReadingItochu: Murfitts Industries acquisition about sustainability and vertical integration
When Kwik-Fit and Stapleton’s owner ETEL announced the recent acquisition of UK tyre recycling specialist Murfitts Industries on 20 December 2021, ETEL’s owner – the Japanese Itochu Group – also shared details of its rationale for the takeover.
Continue ReadingItochu bids $1.7 billion for Hitachi Construction Machinery stake
Hitachi is selling around half its 51 per cent shareholding in Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd for 200 billion yen (£1.271 billion; 1,524 billion euros; US$1.7 billion) to Kwik-Fit’s owner Itochu and investment fund Japan Industrial Partners, according to reports published by Nikkei on 13 January 2022. Itochu confirmed that it is “considering this matter”, but declined to give further details later the same day in a statement that read:
Continue ReadingHankook Technodome gains trio of safety certifications
With the attainment of three additional ‘Certifications of Exemplary Laboratories in Safety Management’, five laboratories within Hankook Tire’s R&D centre in Korea are now officially certified for excellent safety management.
Continue ReadingSentury Tire intends to build 523m euro Spanish tyre plant
Sentury Tire, the tyre manufacturer behind the global Landsail tyre brand, has outlined its plan to construct a 522.59 million euro car and light truck tyre plant in the Galicia region of northwest Spain. Qingdao Sentury Tire Co, Ltd’s board of directors approved the proposal to build capacity for 12 million high performance and light commercial tyres on a three-year schedule at a meeting in the last quarter of 2021, announcing this intention to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on 19 December. The company has implemented a 100 per cent owned subsidiary, Sentury Tire (Spain) Co, Ltd, via its Hong Kong trading company for the project, and wants to ramp up production in two phases; it expects the plant to reach 50 per cent capacity (six million tyres) after two years, with the second half added after three years. Sentury wants to achieve these milestones in 2024 and 2025 respectively, pending construction conditions in Spain and the availability of funding, which Sentury plans to self-raise.
Continue ReadingSustainable rubber – Hankook supplying eco-friendly coagulant
Hankook Tire has announced it will provide formic acid, an eco-friendly coagulant, to rubber farmers in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. It says this measure furthers its “commitment to enhance the sustainability across its value chain for natural rubber.”
Continue ReadingModular wheel-arch technology specialist aims for OE EV REE-volution
With the latest SMMT data naming the Tesla Model 3 as the most popular new-car in December as well as the second most popular in 2021 – no-one can deny that the era of electric vehicles is well and truly upon. However, while internal combustion engines (ICE) have generally separated engine, wheel and tyre, electric vehicles are bringing these vital mobility components closer together than ever.
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