High court to hear VW emissions group litigation request
Harcus Sinclair UK Limited, a UK law firm specialising in large group litigation, has applied for a group litigation order in claims against VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda arising out of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, which has affected 1.2 million cars in the UK alone. This is the first group litigation order sought in relation to the VW emissions scandal on behalf of UK consumers. A group litigation order is the Court’s mechanism for handling claims involving a large number of claimants who share the same complaint. The application for the group litigation order will be heard in the High Court on 30 January 2017. Media is permitted to attend.
Continue Reading
2016 car sales peak at 2.7 million units
The UK new car market achieved another record year in 2016, with annual registrations climbing for the fifth year in a row to almost 2.7 million, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The market has experienced uplifts in 10 out of the last 12 months, albeit finishing with a December down slightly by -1.1 per cent – with 178,022 new cars registered in the month. However, the SMMT also gave a negative prediction for growth in 2017.
Continue Reading
Sumitomo MTS acquisition ‘ensures continuity’ of management, brand strategy
Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ (SRI) £215 million acquisition of the Micheldever Group from Graphite Capital, including Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS), the UK’s second largest distributor of tyres, “ensures continuity” of the management and multi-segment brand strategy, according to MTS chief executive Duncan Wilkes. The move also extends the trend of tyre manufacturers buying into – or indeed buying back into – retail through the acquisition of the UK’s largest chains. In April 2016, Tyres & Accessories pointed out that Micheldever’s Protyre chain was the largest growing in the annual survey of the market’s retail landscape – a factor that will have informed the purchase – and three of the top five (Michelin’s ATS Euromaster and Goodyear Dunlop’s HiQ franchise chain) are now manufacturer controlled.
Continue Reading
Sumitomo Rubber Industries to acquire Micheldever Group
Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has announced its intended acquisition of Micheldever Group Ltd. from Graphite Capital Management LLP. for an enterprise value of £215 million. The tyre maker states its decision to purchase Micheldever is closely linked to the aim of strengthening the market position of its Falken tyre brand in the UK.
Continue Reading
Autogem growing, moving to new premises, introducing new products in 2017
2016 was an eventful year for workshop consumables supplier Autogem. The company entered a new chapter back in September 2005 when it was taken over by managing partners and brothers Prashant and Adit Chopra. Operations were relocated to North London and the very disparate parts and consumables supplies line has improved considerably by focusing on its strengths. During the last decade or so, in addition to its wider automotive supply business, TPMS has emerged as something of a strength at Autogem. Indeed, it is this focus that has seen the company repeatedly nominated for Tyre Industry Awards. Tyres & Accessories met with managing director Prashant Chopra and discussed the company’s growth, new warehouse and headquarters, new products and more.
Continue Reading
Cooper Tire Europe ambassador Xavi Foj prepares to take on 27th Dakar Rally
Cooper Tire Europe will support its ambassador Xavier Foj, supplying Discoverer STT Pro tyres to Foj Motorsport for his 27th Dakar Rally. The Foj Motorsport Cooper Tire team has completed a series of rigorous test sessions in the run up to what is considered the toughest endurance event in global motorsport, taking place on 2-14 January 2017 in Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia.
Continue Reading
Roborace names Michelin as official tyre partner
Roborace has named Michelin as its official tyre partner. Michelin has been working secretly at its testing facilities and sharing over 125 years of its expertise with Roborace to develop an exclusive solution for the ultimate ‘Robocar’, designed by Daniel Simon, which will feature next-generation Michelin road tyres to be used in the series. Roborace is currently in its Beta season appearing at Formula E circuits for exhibitions using its development car ‘DevBot’. The official unveiling of the championships Ultimate car will take place in 2017.
Continue Reading
CURC launches Tire+, moves RubberTech to September in 2017
When Reifen China 2016 opened the doors of the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre on the 1 December, it was immediately apparent that several significant changes are afoot in the Chinese tyre show sector. As the name suggests, Reifen China has always been organised by Messe Essen in partnership with China United Rubber Company (CURC) and co-located with CURCs always-well-attended RubberTech. But next year that will change and the Reifen name has been licensed to Messe Frankfurt for use alongside its Automechanika Shanghai show. This move, which began as a ripple-effect emanating from the Reifen versus The Tire, Cologne competition that has been going on in Germany, has caused repercussions as far away as China. As a result CURC (the exhibition firm behind RubberTech and Messe Essen/Reifen China’s former partner) will also be launching a new tyre event in 2017.
Continue Reading
SnapSkan service aims to improve traffic safety for millions: Nokian Tyres
Nokian Tyres’ investment in Sigmavision and the installation of its SnapSkan tool via tyre and car service chain Vianor is targeting “improved safety” for “millions of drivers”, the Finnish tyre manufacturer states. The free and fast technology measures the depth of tyre treads on the go and informs the driver of the results, serving motorists on their everyday routes, in locations such as car parks.
Continue Reading
Aston Martin partnership success demonstrates new Dunlop motorsport strengths
Aston Martin Racing’s two titles at the 6 Hours of Bahrain FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season finale came in its first season working with Dunlop. In total Dunlop-shod vehicles won five times this year in the WEC. Following prior successes in the prototype category, Dunlop chose to take on an FIA World Endurance GTE Partnership this year with the Aston team, and will seek to provide more championship standard tyres through a testing programme started in September. Xavier Fraipont, managing director, Dunlop Motorsport and motorcycle EMEA, said the tyre manufacturer is “developing new technologies for both LMP and GT with an intensive schedule of evaluation until the start of the 2017 ELMS, VLN and WEC seasons.” Tyres & Accessories caught up with Fraipont after the end of the 2016 WEC season, beginning the conversation by asking how Dunlop was able to achieve so much in endurance racing this year.
Continue Reading
Mobivia Groupe to complete acquisition of tyre retailer A.T.U. this month
German tyre retail and fast fit chain A.T.U. has been sold to France’s Mobivia Groupe. Several hours ahead of a predetermined deadline, New York-based hedge Fund Centerbridge Partners LP, which has owned the network since 2013, successfully negotiated a significant rent reduction with the landlords of its outlet sites, including Lino Management, owner of 273 A.T.U. sites. According to reports, the annual leasing cost for the centres located on Lino-owned properties will fall from 57 million to 30 million euros. The rent reduction clears the way for Mobivia Groupe’s acquisition of the more than 600 A.T.U. centres in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Continue Reading
Dmack’s Avon Motorsport manufacturing partnership brings ‘step up’ in performance
World Rally Championship tyre supplier Dmack has continued to build on its performance in previous seasons. Speaking to Tyres & Accessories, the brand said improved results during the 2016 season have been achieved as a result of investment in the technical team and its partnership with the Avon Motorsport arm of Cooper Tire. Following the introduction of a new range of gravel motorsport tyres in May, Dmack registered fastest times on every event, led three rallies outright and notched up two podium results, finishing second only to Michelin-shod cars. Dmack says its ability to challenge for victory in the global series is the result of new technical staff and the joint effort with Avon.
Continue Reading
Delphi launches copper-free brake pad range
Delphi Product & Service Solutions has launched its new copper-free brake pad range. The parts manufacturer says its new formulas offer improved brake fade performance for increased safety, feel, and refinement as well as the environmental benefits. The range offers 95 per cent car parc coverage of European and Asian applications. The launch comes nine years ahead of 2025 legislation to reduce copper materials in braking components to just 0.5 per cent.
Continue Reading
New High Load Goodyear Fuelmax T size to increase payload
Goodyear has announced the introduction of a new High Load version of its Fuelmax T trailer tyre. The HL 385/65R22.5 Fuelmax T is engineered for axle loads of up to 10 tonnes, meeting the increasing demand for such tyres as more European countries adopt higher vehicle weights. Like two other sizes of the trailer tyre, the new size achieves the highest A grade in fuel efficiency on the EU tyre label.
Continue Reading Nokian invests in Sigmavision, launches SnapSkan based on TreadReader technology
Nokian Tyres has become a shareholder in diagnostics equipment firm Sigmavision, launching its own digital tyre checking service, branded SnapSkan. SnapSkan will use TreadReader Drive Over ramps to provide a service that SigmaVision says will help to advance its “Beyond the Workshop” strategy. Dr Andrew Pryce, Sigmavision’s managing director, commented “The opportunity to progress our ‘Beyond the Workshop’ strategy with Nokian Tyres plc is a significant step and we are also delighted to welcome Nokian Tyres as a shareholder in our business.”
Continue Reading