Yesterday the Competition Commission of India (CCI) finally made public the news that back in 2018 it found five tyre makers and India’s tyre industry association guilty of contravening the provisions of India’s Competition Act by indulging in cartel activities in 2011 and 2012. All protagonists have been fined for their actions.
Construction equipment firm Liebherr has approved Vredestein tyres as original equipment for several of its wheel loader models. The agreement with Apollo Tyres Ltd. sees Vredestein Endurion and Flotation Trac tyres homologated for the Liebherr compact wheel loaders L 504, L 506 and L 508.
As reported on 18 January, Apollo Tyres Ltd. has acquired a 27.2 per cent shareholding in a renewable energy firm, Cleantech Solar subsidiary CSE Deccan Solar. The tyre maker says the reason it did so is to gain a guaranteed annual supply of 40 million units of electricity for its manufacturing facility in Chennai. CSE Deccan Solar expects to begin delivering in July 2022, and this electricity will account for around 20 per cent of the plant’s total requirements and boost the total proportion of renewable energy to more than 30 per cent.
Apollo Tyres Ltd. has acquired a 27.2 shareholding in Indian solar energy firm CSE Deccan Solar, purchasing 1,166,250 shares for a total of Rs 93.3 million (approximately £919,000).
Farming Simulator 22 has arrived, and with it a cornucopia of tyre brands that players can select for their equipment. In addition to the previously reported presence of BKT, Continental and Michelin, Vredestein is also making its debut in the simulation game. Brand owner Apollo Tyres says this initiative is part of its strategy to raise awareness of the full range of premium Vredestein agricultural products among millions of current and aspiring farmers and supplier businesses.
Early in 2019, Apollo Tyres announced it would introduce motorcycle tyres into Europe under the Vredestein brand name, promising performance that competed with its rival’s first line products at prices competing with their second or even third line ranges. The first three models – the Vredestein Centauro ST radial for sport touring bikes, Centauro Road sports radial, and Staccata scooter range – debuted at the EICMA show in Italy later that year.
Apollo Tyres expresses pride in its Vredestein brand’s podium finishes in Auto Bild’s annual Tyre Manufacturer of the Year awards. The leading German car magazine awarded Vredestein joint second in the winter tyre category and joint third place in the all-season category.
For the three months to 30 September 2021, the second quarter of its 2021-22 financial year, Apollo Tyres reports consolidated revenue of Rs 50.77 billion (£493.84 million). This represents an 18 per cent increase over the same period of the previous fiscal year. EBITDA decreased 9.8 per cent year-on-year, to Rs 6.38 billion (£62.06 million) with a margin of 12.6 per cent (16.5 per cent in Q2 2020-21). Net profit amounted to Rs 1.74 billion (£16.93 million).
Apollo Tyres has gained a further original equipment approval in its domestic market. Upmarket versions of the new Tata Punch compact SUV will wear the Apollo Alnac 4G in size 195/60 R16, while mid- and lower-range models will roll of the production line on 185/70 R15 tyres.
In a move intended to further strengthen its product offering at home, Apollo Tyres Ltd. has launched its 2009-aquired Vredestein marque in India. Products sold in India bearing this long-established European brand name will be manufactured locally, and Apollo Tyres is initially offering a line-up of car and SUV tyres that will “cater to the premium and luxury segment” as well as motorcycle tyres for the “growing superbiking segment in India.”
Audi has selected Apollo Tyres’ latest Vredestein Ultrac and Sportrac summer tyres as original equipment for the Audi A1 Sportback, with factory fitment on selected models. Produced at Apollo Tyres’ facilities in Hungary, the tyres chosen by Audi will be supplied in two sizes, 15-inch for the Sportrac (185/65 R15 V) and 17-inch for the Ultrac (215/45 R17 W). Both tyres are also available in the replacement market.
Although radial tyres are increasing their share of India’s light commercial vehicle sector, Apollo Tyres points out that around 165,000 cross-ply/bias light commercial tyres are sold throughout India every month. The tyre maker states it is “looking to get a share of this market” and has thus introduced a new cross-ply range, Apollo Bhim. It is offering two SKUs and says these will cater to nearly 80 per cent of the market in this segment.
A further 25 new dimensions are joining the Vredestein all-season tyre portfolio in response to fast-growing demand for these products. These fitments for 15- to 22-inch rim diameters expand three ranges, the Vredestein Quatrac line for compact and family cars and SUVs, Quatrac Pro for high-performance cars and SUVs and Comtrac 2 all-season+ for commercial vehicles.
Hankook Tire and Apollo Tyres are the latest tyre manufacturers to align their natural rubber procurement policies with the framework adopted by the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) in September 2020. Indian firm Apollo has released its first natural rubber policy document, while South Korea’s Hankook has updated the policy it introduced in 2018. Earlier this week, Yokohama Rubber announced it had altered its natural rubber procurement policy to accommodate the GPSNR policy framework.
Vredestein is chuffed that its Quatrac is joint winner of the latest Autozeitung all-season tyre test. The Vredestein tyre tied for first place in the test of nine 205/55 R16 all-season tyres, and was also named Autozeitung’s price-performance recommendation.
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