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At a meeting on 15 October, the Board British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (BTMA) welcomed its first ever female member. Marisa Hever-Smith, Managing Director at Yokohama HPT, joins the Board as one of two new additions. Dimitrios Papadakos, who Pirelli recently appointed as CEO of Pirelli UK, also takes a place on the BTMA Board.
The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) projects that total tyre shipments in the USA will reach 338.9 million units in 2024, an increase of 2.1 per cent compared with the 331.9 million units shipped last year and 1.8 per cent more than the 332.7 million units in 2019. This year’s shipments look set to surpass the previous record of 335.2 million units in 2021.
Automechanika Shanghai 2024 opened its doors on 2 December with a record-breaking 6,763 exhibitors, an increase of 20 per cent compared to last year’s event, including 17 overseas country and region pavilions. The fair will run until 5 December, covering over 350,000 square metres and 14 halls of the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai).
Giti Tire has begun digitising its European truck and bus (TBR) portfolio by embedding RFID chips into new product sidewalls to allow whole tyre life monitoring. Allowing identification on a single unit level and guaranteed across the lifetime of each tyre, digital information will be readable by all stakeholders and users and cover tyre manufacturing, logistics, OEMs and distributors and wholesalers, fleet management, quality assurance, retreading and end-of-life, according to the company.
Continental is increasing the proportion of recycled materials in its tyres by converting more of its manufacturing facilities to use polyester fabric made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. This increases the recycled content of many tyre lines by an average of three per cent. After presenting this ContiRe.Tex technology for the first time at the end of 2021, the company began using it on a small scale at its tyre plants in Lousado, Portugal, and Otrokovice, Czech Republic the following year. It recently extended this to plants in Korbach, Germany, and Sarreguemines, France, which both now use recycled PET bottles in series production.
Yokohama-ATG took its agricultural tyre technology on the road in the UK at the end of October, on Merseyside farmer, blogger and Alliance influencer, Olly Harrison’s fields. Hosting farmers from across the UK as well as Alliance distributor Kirkby Tyres, the day gave the manufacturer’s European technical team the opportunity to demonstrate live the technological benefits of the Alliance branded agricultural tyre range.
The fourth generation in the Hankook Ventus evo range of ultra-high performance tyres harnesses an Artificial Intelligence-enabled mixing process to “overcome traditional trade-offs”. Announcing the new product, simply known as the Hankook Ventus evo but carrying the new product number K137, Hankook said the tyre “combines outstanding wet grip with impressively low rolling resistance and high mileage.” Longevity, Hankook says, has been boosted by a whopping 32 per cent. The manufacturer also called the new Ventus evo’s development “a perfect example of AI-assisted development,” increasing its flexibility to all summer road conditions with a six per cent boost in dry braking in addition to better performance in the wet. By the end of 2025, Hankook says the new Ventus evo range – including the Ventus evo SUV – will be available in 94 sizes for a particularly wide range of vehicles.
Several weeks ago, prior to visiting the Michelin plant in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, I witnessed the partial demolition of what until recently was one of the country’s most modern and efficient power plants. Capable of satisfying almost the entire electricity requirements of neighbouring Hamburg yet decommissioned after less than seven years in what the local Environment Minster called a “symbolic” gesture, the blasting of the 3-billion-euro plant’s chimneys delivered a depressing reminder of the challenges that tyre makers and other manufacturers face in Western Europe. Perhaps the Michelin team could restore some lost optimism.
Figures from the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show that the market for new vans is relatively buoyant in 2024. In the UK, light commercial vehicle registrations have consistently trended upwards, with October figures registering a 3.5 per cent year-on-year increase versus 2023 over the first 10 months of the year – a figure that increases to 4.7 per cent if we remove the marginal Pickup and 4x4 categories, which are the only light commercial segments to contract in this period. This growth in new vans on UK roads has been steadier than in 2021, when pent-up demand after the pandemic played a role before 2022 saw the market fall back within touching distance of the nadir of pandemic sales. The healthy outlook in 2024 is to some extent undermined by both the stalling electrification of the UK van parc (see textbox for more) and more rapid growth achieved in some continental European markets.
With an extensive range of tyres designed to enhance performance and reliability across various driving conditions, Kumho Tyre UK tells Tyres & Accessories that the brand is “making significant strides in the commercial vehicle sectors.” Its PorTran range has been tailored for commercial vans operating in a variety of conditions, while the brand is enhancing its stock position in heavier commercial truck tyres.
Davanti Tyres launched the Vantoura 4-Seasons in the middle of 2022, subsequently extending the range of its first dedicated on-road, all-season product as it increased in popularity. The all-season van tyre segment is growing in the UK, with businesses looking to harness the benefits of reduced downtime and improved efficiency. For fleet managers operating in the highly competitive last-mile delivery sector, Davanti says 2025 could be the year to capitalise on the benefits of an all-season tyre. The UK-owned brand says the tyre has become “a popular and safe choice for light commercial vehicle users,” explaining the benefits to van operators of fitting an all-season tyre.
Giti Tire’s GT Radial brand continues to develop its Maxmiler van tyre range, according to exclusive distributor Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS). It adds that new additions are due to arrive in 2025 to “ensure the range remains relevant and future-proof.” Tyres & Accessories asked MTS about how it is currently viewing the UK van tyre market, and for its tips on best practice for keeping light commercials moving.
Picking up on our earlier first-look relating to Michelin's whole-life sustainability strategy and previewing the extended and more in-depth take we exclusively provide in our forthcoming Trends & Facts premium supplement, here are some further details Tyres & Accessories gleaned during a recent visit to the French tyre major's headquarters. The wider context is necessary to understand why Michelin cares so much about both tyre wear and whole-life performance. And that was something that Gary Guthrie, SVP Automotive Global Brands Business Line at Michelin made the focal point of his presentation at the company’s global headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France:
From next week, Elio Bartoli will take on the role of President at Yokohama TWS. He spoke with our Italian sister publication PneusNews.it at the EMIA 2024 agricultural machinery show in Bologna earlier this month about this upcoming remit, the products displayed at the company’s Trelleborg- and Mitas-branded show stands, and much more.
Halfords Group plc’s share price shot up after the publication of financial results that both acknowledged market headwinds and reported the acceleration of the motoring retailer’s “Fusion” retail plan. Halfords stock was trading in London at £151.36 a share, up 12.62 per cent during the last five days. Market confidence is clearly high, however, financial analysts also warned that Halfords faces an “uphill struggle” in the execution of its ambitious plans.
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