The latest analysis from JATO Dynamics, the provider of automotive intelligence, reveals that new car sales in Europe for March declined by 7.1 per cent and were also down 7.5 per cent, year-to-date compared with Q1 2011. While there was growth in the British and German markets, this was countered by reduced sales in France and Italy.
Collision-avoidance technologies, which could help eliminate cyclist and pedestrian deaths caused by driver 'blind-spots', should be made mandatory for all UK buses and lorries by 2015, according to a new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The 'Intelligent Transport Intelligent Society' report also calls for automated emergency response systems to be integrated into all new road vehicles within the next two years. These systems automatically alert emergency services in case of an accident – even if a driver is unconscious – as well as providing the exact location of the accident using Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
"Car production held firm in March contributing to 12.3 per cent growth during the first quarter of 2012. Challenging economic conditions in mainland Europe are a concern, but the sector continues to win business in important and faster growing export markets,'' said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. "The prospects for the UK motor industry are extremely good with new investment, commitment and jobs being created by global automotive companies.''
Test World Oy, the well-known winter tyre and vehicle test operation in Finland has announced plans to build a year-round winter test centre which to fulfil the needs of vehicle and tyre manufacturers. According to the company, the first phase of construction will start in May 2012 and this part of the site will be in operation before the end of the year. The three-phase project to create the 30,000 square metre test centre will be completed by the end of 2015.
CES (UK) Ltd has released the latest version of its Workshop Essentials catalogue. Expanded to 112 pages, the catalogue features brands, such as Comma, Wynn’s, Kent Car Care, Sealey and Ring Automotive. Inside the catalogue there are thousands of consumables, tools and cleaning products that are typically used every day by technicians.
In the highly competitive automotive market, many workshops including tyre dealerships rely on a high quality service from their suppliers in order to provide an efficient and competitive service to their customer, which increases customer retention and maximises profit. These suppliers must therefore ensure they are at the cutting edge of service. That’s the view of Mike Curry, sales director, The Parts Alliance, who recently commented on his opinion in correspondence with Tyres & Accessories.
Automotive and transport consulting group, CLEAR has shown that there was growth of 58 per cent in heavy trailer demand in Eastern Europe in 2011. Thirteen of the fifteen countries covered in the report had growth of over 30 per cent, while three other markets grew by more than 100 per cent. The stand-out nation was Turkey, which completely recovered from the downturn of 2009 to post record trailer demand in 2010 and 2011, making it the largest trailer market in Eastern Europe.
Turkey’s Sabanci Holding intends to invest around US$130 million in its Kordsa cord and yarn operation and $110 million in its Brisa tyre making division during the course of 2012. According to Mehmet Pekarun head of Sabanci’s Tire, Tire Reinforcement and Automotive Group, these two investments are being undertaken as part of an overall $275 million investment programme.
During last month’s Daimler Supplier Award ceremony in Germany, the vehicle manufacturer bestowed a “Special Award for Partnership” upon its Japanese suppliers, including Bridgestone. The award was given to 34 Japanese key suppliers in recognition of their efforts to overcome the disruption caused by last year’s earthquake and tsunami and for the solutions they found to keep the supply chain running, with minimal effect on Daimler business.
Following half a century with Bosch, in which he held a number of important positions in the company, chairman of the company’s supervisory council, Professor Dr. Hermann Scholl is to resign from office, effective 30 June 2012. At the same time, he will retire from Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, where he has been managing partner since 1995.
The makers of the Hofmann Power Weight brand of balancing weights will present various innovations and new products at this year's international tyre fair in Essen between 5 and 8 June (hall 1.0, stand 411). The theme at the Wegmann Automotive stand will be motor sports, a sector that’s all about speed. Wegmann has chosen to go for a motor sport motif as it says its new products, which have been developed on the race track and optimised for the workshop, can be mounted extremely quickly and easily.
Wegmann automotive has appointed Esteban Urgel as its new sales manager for the Iberian region. The company says the appointment represents an increase in its efforts to spur “rapid growth in European countries outside Germany”. Urgel took up his post, covering Spain and Portugal, in February.
Motorists have lifted the lid on some of the more extraordinary dangers facing them on the UK’s roads last year including a kamikaze duck, an "evil pheasant" and…Susan Boyle.
Customer calls to Autoglass reveal that some drivers were their own worst enemies with one actually shattering his windscreen from the inside….after accidentally firing his shotgun.
The mishaps were among a series of wacky explanations given to the leading automotive services company from drivers with damaged vehicle glass last year.
On 26 March the Calcutta High Court appointed a provisional liquidator to assume charge of the assets belonging to Dunlop India Ltd. This measure has stripped the company’s board of directors and chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia of the power to transfer further assets or property from the company. The court’s official liquidator will serve as provisional liquidator, and in addition to conducting an inventory of existing assets he will attempt to recover any prior Dunlop India asset transfers deemed to be fraudulent in nature; according to Justice Sanjib Banerjee, the liquidator will take steps to reclaim properties sold by Dunlop in 2006-07.
As is the case in any manufacturing business, production of the finished item usually represents the last link in a complex supply chain. Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) are no different. So with a view to understanding a little more of the TPMS landscape, Tyres & Accessories contacted growing Indian valve and TPMS part supplier Sonil Ventilfabrik. The company's link to the segment is in the development and manufacture of what it calls "aiding accessories" to external TPMS sensors. The latest particular aiding accessory, also known as the T valve, has a dual purpose. It offers an additional port to mount TPMS sensors and is simultaneously used to fill tyres with air without removing the external sensor.
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