Europe Archives - Page 123 of 179 - Tyrepress

Posts

Michelin Primacy Alpin Awarded Highest Distinction by ADAC

The new Michelin Primacy Alpin tyre has been awarded the highest distinction – a “highly recommendable” rating – in a test conducted by Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club (ADAC), the German Automobile Association and Europe’s largest automobile club.

Carried out by ADAC and its Austrian and Swiss counterparts – Österreichischer Automobil-, Motorrad- und Touring Club (ÖAMTC) and Touring Club Suisse (TCS) – the comparative test involved 16 brands of 205/55 R16 H winter tyres.

The tyres were tested for their grip on snow and ice covered roads as well as on low temperature wet and dry surfaces. Tyre life was also measured, and in this category the Michelin Primacy Alpin received the highest overall score, ahead of all its competitors.

The Michelin Primacy Alpin responds to the dual challenge of optimising safety and longevity. During the design phase, Michelin research and development teams focused on meeting three performance objectives.

28th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

More Details on Michelin’s Efficiency Improvement Plans

Following a roadshow in the US hosted by financial analysts at Deutsche Bank, further details of the previously reported Michelin corporate restructuring programme have been released. The company is said to be aiming for a 30 per cent productivity increase by 2010 (10 per cent from production increase/ 20 per cent from workforce consolidation).

In addition Michelin is said to be looking to produce a better equilibrium of production/sales by continent. This is likely to have a significant effect on the European business as Europe represents 70 per cent of the group’s production compared with only 50 per cent of sales. Plant size is also likely to be rationalised, with the ideal size being described as 8 to 10 m passenger tyres and 2 million truck tyres per annum – basically double the current size of some plants.

Deutsche Bank reports that Michelin’s management still believes in a potential shortage of truck tyres in 2008.

28th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFGoodrich Victory Tour to Visit London in November

BFGoodrich tyres will be celebrating its motorsport success with a pan-European roadshow that is to visit London in November. This giant 1,600 square metre interactive display will feature BFGoodrich tyres and the rally vehicles that have delivered victories in the World Rally Championship, the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and the famous Dakar rally.

The BFGoodrich Victory Tour roadshow will be located at the Lakeside shopping complex, just to the east of London adjacent to the Dartford Crossing, offering easy access for motorsport enthusiasts from across the southern half of the UK. Good motorway links also mean that rally fans have a straightforward journey from further-afield.

27th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Retreading Special – Increasing Polarisation of the Market

European retreading material suppliers have been dominating the retreader supply market for years. But now they face new competition from supplies originating from outside Europe. These competitors are addressing some of the same customers and are increasingly doing so on the same basis – quality and price. The latest edition of our bilingual Retreading Special supplement (produced by Tyres & Accessories in cooperation with our European sister publication Neue ReifenZeitung) put the editorial focus on the increasing polarization of the market between the established suppliers on the one hand and the manufacturers and second row on the other.

The next edition of this increasingly popular supplement will be published in parallel with our March 2008 issue. The current issue is available to download free of charge here and is stored, along with other back issues, in the archive section of www.tyrepress.com, under reports.

27th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli NA Appoints New Motorcycle VP

Scott Griffin, formerly of Maxxis, will succeed Mark Wilhelm as Vice President of the motorcycle business unit at Pirelli Tire North America. Mr. Griffin will commence his role at the beginning of October. “On behalf of Pirelli, I would like to thank Mark for his contribution to our growth and success in North America and we wish him well in his new role in Europe,” commented Chairman & CEO of Pirelli Tire North America, Hugh Pace. “I look forward to Scott Griffin joining our team as his tenure and experience in the motorcycle tire industry is a major plus for our strategy in North America.”

26th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Varta Does Well In Awareness Survey

Johnson Controls, parent company of Varta, recently commissioned a survey to test trade awareness of starter battery brands. The survey was carried out by one of Europe’s most respected market research companies and covered eight European markets. 150 garages were selected randomly in each market and there was a 92 per cent response rate.

25th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

TPMS Update

With America’s tyre manufacturers and retailers still unhappy with the National Highway Transport and Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) rule-making on TPMS, signs are that Europe too will soon require its new vehicles to be equipped with tyre pressure monitoring systems. To be fair to America’s tyre people, they have not resisted TPMS. Quite the contrary, the argument is over the fact that the mandatory system proposed by the NHTSA would permit up to a 25 per cent air loss before the TPMS warning light would come on. The tyre industry to its credit has argued for a tighter standard than this.

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

UK University Offers First Postgraduate REACH Course

With the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) legislation in effect since June 1, it is important to ensure that personnel responsible for implementing and managing their company’s compliance with the legislation have a correct understanding of what is required. The use of chemicals will have to be registered with a technical dossier and some substances will also require a chemical safety report and assessment.

The University of Hull is currently the only university in Europe to be offering an accredited Postgraduate course in the management of the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH). The first day of teaching in the initial course began only days after the legislation came into force, on June 4, 2007, and each course consists of four one-week modules delivered by leading experts, as well as an industrial placement that can be carried out at the delegate’s own workplace. The course can be completed in full, as individual modules or on individual days. The cost is £300 for one day or £4,000 for the full course, exclusive of VAT. A Postgraduate Certificate is awarded upon completion of the full course.

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Continued OE Sales Growth in Europe

According to Michelin, the European OE car and light truck tyre market rose by 11 per cent in August compared with the same month of 2006. In contrast, the market in North America contracted by 3 per cent. Sales of replacement car and light truck tyres remained level in Europe during the month, but increased 1.7 per cent in North America.

Year to date, Europe’s OE car and light truck tyre market went up 4.3 per cent from the same period a year earlier, while OE sales in North America were punctuated by a 2.6 per cent decline. Replacement tyre sales were up 1.2 per cent in Europe and 2.1 per cent in North America during the same period.

In Europe OE truck tyre sales jumped 20 per cent in August, claimed Michelin, while across the Atlantic sales were a massive 37 per cent down. The replacement truck tyre market was far steadier, with a 2.4 per cent increase reported in Europe and a 0.2 per cent drop in North America.

21st September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama’s New WTCC Rain Tyres Make a Splash

The new rain tyres selected for the use in the next two seasons of the FIA World Touring Car Championship were recently given the opportunity to kick up some spray at the Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk. Chevrolet and BMW took part in the tests on the artificially watered track, with each company fielding a car fitted with Yokohama Advan tyres.

“We have compared our current rain tyres with the one we have developed for the next two years,” commented Yokohama Europe Motorsport manager Matthijs Mathlener. “The drivers have completed a number of tests, including short and long runs, with both the 2007 and the new tyres and on both a completely wet and a drying track.”

Following an invitation to tender, Yokohama was in early July appointed by FIA World Motor Sport Council to supply the control tyre for the 2008 and 2009 FIA WTCC.

20th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Solideal Increases Prices 4-6 per cent

Solideal is to raise aftermarket prices in Europe by 4-6 per cent depending on the product line. The increases will take effect from 1 November 2007. According to the company, the increase is due to the continued rise in raw material, energy, and freight costs. “Of course, we continue to implement efficiency programmes in all aspects of operations in order to minimize the impact of cost increases,” said Cesar Clemente, CEO of Solideal.

19th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Oudshoorn Rejoins Amtel-Vredestein Board

Vredestein Banden B.V. CEO Robert H. Oudshoorn is to return to Amtel-Vredestein’s Board after a 6-month absence to join new Amtel-Vredestein CEO and Executive Board Chairman, Petr Zolotarev and CFO Vadim Pesochinsky, who joined the Company in July 2007.

Amtel-Vredestein has increased the size of its Executive Board from a maximum of four to six and has nominated four new members. The election of the nominees will be included among the agenda items at an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM) scheduled for 2 October 2007 in Enschede, The Netherlands.

Other new members are Vredestein Consulting Managing Director, Kornelis (Kees) Hettema; Amtel-Vredestein Deputy General Director of Sales and Operations, Ilya Ivanov; and Vredestein Banden Director of Corporate Marketing & Sales, Marc Luyten.

18th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Nail in Tyre Blamed for Hammond Crash

A nail caused the tyre failure that lead to the accident that nearly killed Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond. According to a BBC report the “catastrophic disintegration” could have been prevented was it not for the “the inability to spot the damage to the tyre.” As a result the 88-page report criticised the Top Gear team for not having anyone present “with sufficient knowledge to assess the adequacy” of the safety checks.

Much of the BBC’s report into Richard Hammond’s crash focused on the role tyres played in the crash. New Hoosier P225/50 ZR15 (front) and P275/50 ZR15 (rear) tyres had reportedly been bought for the Vampire jet car involved, shortly before the crash. There was no suggestion that there were any manufacturing problems with the tyres, but rather that an object such as a nail caused a “catastrophic failure” that resulted in the front off-side tyre being “comprehensively destroyed.”

17th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Alcoa Sells Stake in Chalco for $2 Billion

(Akron/Tire Review) Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. sold its nearly 7 per cent stake in Chalco, China’s largest aluminum maker, for $2 billion. Alcoa said it would continue to invest in the aluminum industry in China, where it currently manufactures foil, fasteners, automotive components and other products. Alcoa said its initial investment in Chalco was less than $200 million.

14th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Industrial Dominate Tensioning Wheel Market Share

Continental continues its market leading OE position with a different type of vehicle. The latest success story for the Continental Industrial Tyres team is the skiers’ best friend, Kaessbohrers ski-slope preparation vehicle.

Continental’s CSE tyres will spring into action at the start of the skiing season preparing the slopes removing bumps and ruts at popular ski resorts across Europe. For many years, Continental Industrial Tyres have supplied the tensioning wheels and tyres for this application. The most recent win was negotiated between Kaessbohrer, the ski slope vehicle manufacturer, Continental and their rim supplier Lemmerz. Continental has now boosted its tensioning wheel market share from 60 per cent to 100 per cent.

14th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors