New car sales – best February for 20 years
The UK new car market has recorded its best February performance for two decades as registrations rose 14.0 per cent to 84,886 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It was the 19th month of consecutive growth, which has primarily been driven by fleets investing in the latest vehicles. Indeed, fleets and businesses were responsible for the entirety of February’s increase, with registrations up 25.2 per cent and 15.5 per cent respectively. Private uptake continued to struggle, with a -2.6 per cent decline to record a 33.7 per cent market share. February is traditionally volatile as the lowest volume month of the year, with buyers often electing to wait until March and the new number plate.
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Prinx Chengshan debuts OTR mining tyre range
In addition to manufacturing truck and passenger vehicle tyres – the former sold in the UK under the Fortune brand name and the latter as Fortune and Prinx tyres – Prinx Chengshan is staking its claim in the off-highway segment. So far, the company has restricted its activities in this area to China, where it has introduced OTR tyres for wide-body mining vehicles, smooth tyres for underground applications, and on-road mining crane tyres. It recently added to this portfolio with two further tyres for wide-body mining vehicles, the ET06 and ET07 in size 16.00R25.
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Hankook debuts ISCC certified iON tyre
Together with two other South Korean firms, Hankook Tire & Technology has developed the country’s first tyre using cord fibre sourced from chemically recycled PET. The tyre maker partnered with SK chemicals and Hyosung Advanced Materials to develop Hankook iON tyres containing “circular recycled PET fibre tyre cords.” The resulting product is the first tyre to wear the ISCC Plus certification logo.
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Mitas introduces Speedway, its ‘most advanced tyre to date’
Mitas is set to launch its new Speedway tyre, designed specifically for intense speedway racing, just in time for 2024 heats. The tyre was developed and tested in conjunction with professional racers in Europe, Australia and the USA and meets the highest regulation standards set by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM).
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LCA shows significant advantages for Marangoni Ringtread
Supported by the University of Trento’s Department of Industrial Engineering, Marangoni recently conducted a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of one of its pre-cure retreaded truck tyre products, the Ringtread Blackline WSS 300 M. It compared this with a new tyre intended for the same application. Marangoni and the department tested both tyres in size 385/65R22.5.
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Goodyear tyres for VW Passat Variant
Volkswagen is launching the latest versions of its Passat estate, which is known as the Variant in most markets, and has selected a range of Goodyear summer, all-season and winter tyres as original equipment. A Goodyear tyre is available for all applicable sizes on the new model.
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Pirelli F1 tyres are FSC certified, demonstrating boosted sustainability
Pirelli’s 2024 Formula 1 tyre range has become the first to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), with all the P Zero and Cinturato tyres carrying the FSC logo on the sidewall. The marking certifies that all the natural rubber used in the tyre complies with stringent environmental and social criteria required by the global non-governmental organisation for sustainable forestry. The new certification was announced on 10 October when Pirelli renewed its agreement as the Global Tyre Partner of Formula 1 until at least 2027. Pirelli said the new FSC certified tyres were introduced after an intense development programme that began in 2022. It adds that the tyres are improved in terms of reliability and performance. On average the tyres in the Pirelli F1 range contain natural rubber equating to 15 per cent of the tyre’s weight.
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Bridgestone highlights four original equipment trends to watch in 2024 and beyond
Bridgestone has revealed four tyre trends to look out for as the automotive industry evolves with the rise of electric vehicles. The tyre manufacturer is a major tyre supplier for many of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers, holding a significant share of the OE market. It is designing and supplying more fitments for EVs than ever before. In the European OE market, Bridgestone’s team has shared four major trends it believes will have the biggest impact on an evolving automotive industry throughout 2024 and beyond.
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New Clarke JS1224LIN Lithium-Ion Jump Starter
Want to make sure you’re covered in emergency situations? Don’t want to get stranded with a flat battery? Always want to make sure you can charge your phone to keep in contact? Then look no further than one of Machine Mart’s Clarke jump starters, including the new Clarke JS1224LIN 12V/24V Lithium-Ion Jump Start.
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Ring asks “Has price replaced safety in the aftermarket?”
Ring, the automotive lighting and auto electrics supplier, has a state of the art lighting laboratory located at its headquarters in Leeds, UK, and while testing a range of bulbs in the industry has found worrying results, including bulbs that are not road legal. The laboratory team does not only test Ring and OSRAM’s own products, but also products from other automotive lighting companies to see how the quality compares and if it meets the legal standards. Recently, the company has found some worrying trends that there are bulbs being sold in the UK that are not compliant with current legislation and are therefore, not road legal.
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BFGoodrich tech team tune tyres for better response
BFGoodrich’s technical experts have improved the stability and handling of a Ford Ranger deployed by the County Durham and Darlington Fire Service, after tuning the tyre inflation pressures to the precise needs of its BFGoodrich KO2 tyres following comprehensive analysis. The Targeted Response Vehicle was purchased by the fire and rescue service specifically to manage off-road work, including attending non-life threatening incidents. But some concerns about its instability led to a series of tyre tests at Millbrook Proving Ground, which highlighted issues with unpredictable change from significant understeer to oversteer.
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Bridgestone withdraws from China’s truck and bus radial tyre market
Bridgestone’s subsidiary in China announced that it would officially terminate its commercial vehicle tyre (TBR) business on 27 February. The move means that the tyre giant will no longer produce and sell TBR products in China, at least in the short term. The company states that “strategic resources will be focused on the high-end PCR market where growth is expected.”
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Apollo: New Vredestein Ultrac Pro offers ‘remarkable weight reduction’
When Apollo Tyres’ Vredestein Ultrac Pro UUHP summer tyre launches next month it will offers a “groundbreaking lightweight design that maximises performance and comfort while dramatically reducing weight and environmental impact”, according to the company.
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Taking “things to another level” – Bridgestone unveils Blizzak 6
Five years have passed since Bridgestone launched its Blizzak LM005, and during that time the tyre has won 23 winter tyre tests. Now a successor is positioned on the starting block. Presenting the new Blizzak 6 Enliten, Laurent Dartoux says that although the prior model tyre “set the bar high,” Bridgestone has now “taken things to another level.” The EMEA region group president believes that Bridgestone’s development team “has created a premium winter tyre that can handle whatever winter throws at it.”
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Continental adds new functionality to Tire Tech app
The Continental TireTech app serves as a valuable tool for fleet managers, drivers, retailers, and tyre workshops wishing to optimise tyre performance and enhance fleet efficiency. Continental has now added extra functions to the app that broaden its appeal, introducing several new features tailored for truck and bus tyres and expanding its reach to include the burgeoning van and camper van tyre segments.
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