Mak adds 23-inch wheel size to Speciale range
Mak has added a 23-inch fitment to its Speciale and Speciale-D (Deep) range. According to the company, the Special 23” is designed to satisfy the most demanding drivers of cars such as the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Coupé.
Continue ReadingPirelli backs FIA Rally Star initiative
Pirelli has joined forces with the FIA to back its newly-established Rally Star programme, continuing the Italian firm’s long-term commitment to support talented young drivers at every level of rallying. Rally Star is a recently-launched initiative which brings together national motorsport federations from around the globe, identifying talented drivers between the ages of 17-25 through a mixture of digital motorsport and slalom driving in production vehicles.
Continue ReadingBridgestone’s Blizzak LM005 wins Auto Express winter tyre test
Bridgestone’s Blizzak LM005 tyre has won the Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 2020 beating 205/55 R16 tyres from seven other manufacturers to the top of the table. Auto Express cited the tyre’s performance in the wet as a key factor. The tyre, which boasts an A tyre label grade for wet grip across the full range, has secured Bridgestone’s first Auto Express test win and follows on from a series of improved results in recent times. However, there were strong performances from Hankook’s Winter i*cept RS2 (2nd) and Michelin’s Alpin 6 (3rd). At the same time, we have to note that Hankook Goodyear and Dunlop each won individual categories as well as Bridgestone, of course. Looking forward, Continental’s TS 870 has to be described as the one that got away because it’s market-beating performance couldn’t be counted owing to the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the new tyre’s release for a year.
Continue ReadingNexen uses AI and big data to reduce tyre noise
Nexen Tire has shared details of how it has used Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data-driven methodology to help reduce tyre noise. The big data research for Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) was jointly conducted with Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group and Inha University in Korea. The results of the braking test performance on snow, hydroplaning, and wet surfaces showed internal and external noise generated by cars can be reduced by 1 dB (decibel) and 3 dB (decibel), respectively.
Continue ReadingSRI testing remote tyre monitoring
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), manufacturer of the Falken tyre brand, recently began proof-of-concept testing for a new kind of tyre pressure management solutions service that remotely monitors tyre pressure and temperature. Through this testing project, SRI will evaluate the service’s efficacy in supporting safer driving, specifically its effectiveness in reducing maintenance time and workload and preventing operator error. SRI says the project contributes towards its “ultimate aim” of establishing a business model that “helps to enhance the safety and economy of driving.”
Continue ReadingYokohama makes management changes
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd has made a series of adjustments in the roles and responsibilities of its officers and executives – all effective 1 October 2020.
Continue ReadingConti publishes European winter tyre breakdown guide
Continental has once again released an overview of the European regulations regarding winter tyre equipment for trucks and buses. It also gives advice relating on who should be informed if you do breakdown.
Continue ReadingHankook producing Alphatread retreads in the DACH market
Hankooks story is undoubtedly one of extraordinary growth. The South Korean-based manufacturer inaugurated its car tyre plant in Hungary in 2007, which currently produces around 19 million tyres annually. In parallel, the company has succeeded in becoming an OE supplier to nearly all European premium manufacturers. The same applies to truck tyres, albeit to a lesser extent. Even if Hankook only postponed plans to expand its Hungarian factory to include truck tyre production until the end of last year due to economic uncertainties, market observers can see that the tyremaker holds double-digit truck tyre market shares in in many European. For Hankook, this isn’t the end of the success story, but rather the introduction to even more extensive growth. Moving forward, Hankook was respond more fully to the increasingly demanding needs of European truck tyre replacement market customers.
Continue ReadingApollo Tyres creates Chief Digital Officer role
Apollo Tyres has appointed Hizmy Hassen to the newly-created position of Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Hassen will be based at the company’s London office, and will be responsible for leading the strategy and operations of Apollo Tyres’ digital journey, including responsibility for Information Technology. Hizmy Hassen will report to Neeraj Kanwar, vice chairman and MD, Apollo Tyres Ltd.
Continue ReadingFamed falconer endorses Loder AT tyre
Leo Mandlsperger may not be a household name over here, but in Germany and some other markets he is famed for his falconry. Now, he is endorsing Loder Tire’s new AT#1 tyre. At the same time, Loder Tire’s distribution partner, delta4x4, is offering a special promotion for all off-road enthusiasts.
Continue ReadingBridgestone honoured in STOXX Global ESG Leaders Index again
Bridgestone Corporation has been included in the STOXX Global ESG Leaders Index, a stock investment index focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. The news, announced on 24 September, marks the second consecutive year that Bridgestone has been listed in the index.
Continue ReadingBridgestone ceasing kart tyre production in 2022
Bridgestone Corporation will end kart tyre supply on 31 December 2022. According to the company, the decision to leave the largely bias construction kart tyre segment “reflects careful examination of the companys portfolio and resources”. However, Bridgestone remains fully responsible for the supply of kart tyres until 31 December 2022, at which time outstanding supply contracts will end.
Continue Reading2020 vision impossible in an unpredictable year
It is somewhat ironic that the number 2020 has inherent associations with perfect vision and yet this year has turned out to be the most unpredictable in a lifetime. For example, no-one saw President Trump’s twitter-borne sideswipe at Goodyear’s tyres coming last month – how could they? However, on a more serious note, the effects of uncertainty has real-life impact. And this month has seen more than its fair share of such harsh realities in the tyre industry. This article appears in full in the October edition of Tyres & Accessories magazine. Not yet a subscriber? You can change that here.
Continue ReadingTirescanner sales up 150% year-to-date
The last time Tyres & Accessories interviewed online tyre entrepreneur, Mike Welch, his latest venture Tirescanner was making in-roads in the US tyre retail market. Such was the concept’s growth that Welch had been pitching the business to investors in a bid to move onto phase two of Tirescanner’s development. Roughly a year later, T&A asked how things are progressing:
Continue ReadingNokian shifts North American tyre business to Anna Hyvönen
Effective immediately, Anna Hyvönen, SVP Nordics and Vianor and member of Nokian Tyres Management Team, has been appointed SVP North America, Nordics and Vianor. The shift was precipitated by the departure of Mark Earl, who had been Nokian Tyres SVP Americas, who has decided to leave the company to “pursue other career opportunities”. Tommi Heinonen, Head of Sales, North America, will start reporting to Anna Hyvönen.
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