Giti Tire bringing its flagship car tyre brand to Europe
The company supplying as many as a fifth of all car tyres fitted to new vehicles manufactured and sold in China is preparing for the European launch of its flagship brand, and has its sights on both the original equipment and replacement markets in our region. With its new, designed-for-Europe Giti range, Giti Tire aims to become “an established original equipment supplier and recognised technology partner in Europe.” Three product lines will be introduced into a key initial market in the coming months ahead of a wider European rollout.
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Bartec Auto ID targets greater European prominence with aftermarket product range
Bartec Auto ID is currently an example of a company and brand more famous outside its domestic market than within it, though a recent behind-the-scenes event at the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and automotive diagnostic equipment manufacturer’s headquarters near Barnsley, South Yorkshire showed how managing director Colin Webb and his team plan to raise the profile of this British manufacturing success story. In the TPMS sector, growing globally with the support of legislation, Bartec claims a market share of more than 80 per cent of car plant installations in Europe and North America, achieved since its first installation for Renault in 1998, and a similar proportion of aftermarket TPMS tools coverage, with 95,000 TPMS devices in North America – including 96 of the 100 largest tyre retail chains – and 28,000 in Europe. The company supplies OEM tools to marques such as Mercedes, Ford and Volkswagen, while manufacturing tools for aftermarket brands like Snap On (TPMS2), Mac Tools (TPR), Schrader (Exp’Air and Activ’air), and Bosch (TPA200).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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