Continental, Kordsa to make tyre production greener
A collaboration between Continental’s Tire division and Kordsa, the Sabanci Group’s textile reinforcing materials business, is expected to result in a new, sustainable system of bonding textile reinforcing materials to rubber-based compounds. Specifically, the two companies are working on a technology that replaces resorcinol and formaldehyde with more environmentally friendly chemicals. Continental reports that to-date the joint work has delivered “very promising” results, adding that the technology will be available to others under a free licensing concept.
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Long-term trend shows winter tyres receding, all-season rising in UK
The viability of a sustained winter tyre market in the UK has long been categorised as doubtful, with sales rarely climbing to 2 per cent. Meanwhile recent improvements in tyre technology and the introduction of products looking to change their perception, led by the Michelin CrossClimate’s success in the fleet market, have seen all-season tyres become an increasingly attractive proposition.
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Technotrac facility helps Hankook reduce costs, increase efficiency of winter testing
Hankook opened its Technotrac winter tyre testing facility in Ivalo, Finland early in 2017. With facilities ready for both commercial vehicle testing and future expansion, the facility will help the manufacturer push forward its winter and all-season ranges for the European and global markets. Tyres & Accessories spoke to vice president Klaus Krause, head of the Europe Technical Center about its European Technotrac winter testing facility and the segment in general.
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Anti-dumping – EC to investigate Chinese tyre imports to Europe
The European Commission has issued notice that it will initiate an anti-dumping proceeding focusing on imports of truck and bus tyres originating in the Peoples Republic of China. The Commission is taking this course of action as a result of a complaint received on 30 June by the “coalition against unfair tyres imports,” a group representing the interests of manufacturers who account for more than 45 per cent of all new and retreaded truck and bus tyre production in the European Union.
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Study: Guayule tyre performance “at least equal” to conventional rubbers
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and its consortium partners have completed their five-year research project into the potential of guayule rubber as a replacement for Hevea natural rubber in tyres. A report on their work was recently presented at the public-private sector consortium’s wrap-up meeting held at the Cooper Tire & Vehicle Test Center near San Antonio, USA.
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Davanti Tyres signs three-year partnership with Everton Football Club
Davanti Tyres has signed a commercial partnership deal to make it Everton Football Clubs official tyre partner from 2017. The three-year commercial sponsorship deal was signed in August 2017 by Alan McTavish, Everton Football Club head of commercial partnerships, and Peter Cross, general manager of Davanti Tyres at Goodison Park. Davanti was launched in 2015, and carries more than 10 different tyre patterns, ranging from smaller passenger cars, heavy duty commercial taxis/van tyres, to high-performance SUV/4x4, and winter tyres. Signing a Premier League sponsorship deal, the brand targets the global audience offered by the competition.
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NTDA names 2017 Tyre Industry Award finalists
The 2017 NTDA Tyre Industry Awards has been announced. According to the association, over the last five months the NTDA has been inundated with exceptional submissions across the nine award categories and this year the finalists are:
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The clock is ticking for combustion engines and conventional tyres
The UK government has decided to ban the sale of both new petrol and new diesel cars from 2040. The goal isn’t as ambitious as Norway’s, which aims to do the same by 2025. India thinks it can do it by 2031. And France is on par with the UK, also aiming to ban sales of new combustion engine-based cars by 2040. However, in the UK at least, electric cars sales currently represent less than 1 per cent of new registrations. Therefore a lot has to happen between now and 2040 for this new rule to become reality. What is clear is that there is now real legislative momentum in favour of electric vehicles in the UK and that this will have an inevitable impact on OE suppliers, and in turn the UK replacement tyre market, especially in three key areas: weight, torque and rolling resistance.
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UK government is pro-retreading, but what about anti-dumping measures?
Perhaps the most high profile dignitary at Michelin’s “Stoke 2018” event was Clare Perry MP, Minister of State for Climate change and Industrial Strategy. Bearing in mind that retreading and casing inspection/logistics make up such a significant part of what goes on at Michelin’s Campbell Road, Stoke-on-Trent site, and given that over-supply of low-cost truck tyres from China has had a marked effect on this part of the business, Tyres & Accessories was keen to ask Clare Perry what the government can do to help.
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Michelin European distribution centre launch ‘Dawning of a new era’ in Stoke
Michelin has updated local dignitaries, staff and business partners on its multi-million pound investment plans in Stoke-on-Trent. Proceedings were opened by Mike Lawton, head of communications at Michelin Northern Europe, who described what was announced in the “investing in the future” presentation as the “dawning of a new era”, before head of Michelin Northern Region John Young spoke of the “amazing” relational, business footprint and heritage of the site. To put recent changes into a single figure, productivity across the site has reportedly increased 35 per cent in the last five years.
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Tire+ partnering with CRIA for inaugural 2017 event
From 20 to 22 September 2017 China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) and China United Rubber Corporation (CURC) will jointly host the new Tire+ tyre trade show at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. The Tire+ expo will be held alongside the 17th China RubberTech. According to the organisers the new show features six particular highlights, but first – before take a closer look at those – here’s a little background.
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Alliance name comes to Chelsea FC sleeve ahead of car tyre range’s European launch
In addition to its current shirt sponsorship with Chelsea Football Club, Yokohama Rubber has gained jersey sleeve sponsorship for the 2017-18 season. In addition to the Yokohama Tyres logo prominently featured across the chest of the Chelsea FC jersey these past two seasons, the new jerseys worn by players during Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches will feature the logo of the company’s recently-acquired Alliance Tyres brand on the jersey’s left sleeve. The new jersey made its debut at Chelsea’s pre-season match with Arsenal at the ‘Bird’s Nest’ in Beijing, China on 22 July.
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Abu Dhabi firm invests in Nexen Tire, signs MoU
Abu Dhabi-based investor Mubadala Investment Company has Nexen Tire on its radar, and this has led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two firms. According to Nexen Tire, the agreement its chief executive officer Travis (Ho-chan) Kang formalised yesterday with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Mubadala’s managing director and group chief executive officer, sets out ways and means for both parties to “explore strategic partnership opportunities.” Mubadala has directly invested into Nexen as part of the agreement, however so far the tyre maker hasn’t disclosed the extent of this investment.
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Falken Tyre becomes Liverpool FC partner
Liverpool FC has a new global partner and official tyre partner. Following the end of its arrangement with Maxxis, which began in 2009 and concluded at the end of the 2016/17 season, the club has entered into a multi-year collaboration with Falken Tyre.
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Automated driving solution three years away – Continental
Welcome to the future of driving, your Cruising Chauffeur awaits. That’s the name Continental has given its eagerly-awaited automated driving technology, and regardless of how it rolls off the tongue, Cruising Chauffeur represents something that will significantly change our driving experience. Continental plans to bring Cruising Chauffeur into production in 2020.
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