Good news from the Volkswagen Group at the Detroit Motor Show, when it announced that global vehicle sales rose above 8m for the first time last year, passing Toyota and moving closer to expected number one General Motors.
Continental has responded to the Which? magazine winter tyre test published in December, saying the “best buy” rating the ContiWinterContact TS830 and TS800 were awarded was a “real honour”. The test was the first time the consumer advice magazine has recognised the increased awareness of the product in the UK, with many premium brands putting extra effort into the promotion of seasonal tyre changes. The test encompassed 69 tyres across six of the most popular sizes on the market, with Conti tyres given “best buy status in four sizes.
During the first quarter of 2012 Bridgestone Europe will roll out a new round of price increases for retread materials across the region it serves. Starting from 1 March and varying from country to country, price increases will average ten per cent for Bridgestone and Bandag Pre Cured Tread products and eight per cent for Bandag Cushion Gum products.
Cooper has launched its new 4×4 tyre for extreme conditions, the Discoverer S/T MAXX. The tyre’s compound and tread succeed the popular Discoverer STT. Cooper stated that the tyre will have its first serious test during the 2012 Dakar Rally, in which it will be fitted to Xavier Foj’s Toyota Land Cruiser 150; the third consecutive time the legendary Spanish driver will run on Cooper rubber. The tyre will be launched fully into Europe in February. It is M+S rated and available in sizes ranging from 16 to 18 inch.
At the end of 2011 Rhineland became the first German federal state (after Baden-Württemberg in 2010) to carry out investigations into the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in motor vehicle tyres. The results were published on 12 December 2011. Two of the 19 tyres tested exceeded the limit and show that extender oils were used which do not meet the EU requirements. The offending types of tyres were reportedly removed from the market as a result of not meeting the legal requirements.
David Stinissen has been appointed to the role of marketing manager at Toyo Tire Europe, effective 1 January 2012. Stinissen has taken charge of the Japanese tyre maker’s European marketing department and will carry out this new role in addition to continuing in his existing position as marketing manager for Toyo in the Benelux countries. He will be based both at Toyo Tire Europe’s headquarters in Willich, Germany and at Toyo Tire Benelux in Roosendaal, the Netherlands.
In the four and a half years since Hankook Tire’s Rácalmás plant in Hungary entered production, the facility has produced a tyre or two. In fact, the company shares that the 25th million tyre rolled off the production line in November 2011 – and the facility’s current capacity means it will take only half this time to manufacture the next 25 million tyres.
November appears to have been a good month for original equipment passenger car and light truck tyre shipments in Russia. In their monthly market updates, Michelin and Pirelli respectively report a 2.9 per cent year-on-year decline and 3 per cent growth for this segment in Europe – the main difference being that Pirelli’s figures include Russia, while Michelin’s do not. November results for Russia alone were not published by either company. According to the French tyre maker replacement market volumes for the month decreased 2.1 per cent year-on-year, while its Italian counterpart reports the decline as only 1 per cent. Year to date, Michelin estimates the growth in the European passenger car OE and replacement markets as being 6.9 per cent and 7.0 per cent respectively, while Pirelli gives a lower figure of 4 per cent for both.
Starco reports having laid the foundation stone for its new central warehouse complex in Winsen, about 30 kilometres south of the German city of Hamburg. The new complex is expected to enter operation by 1 May 2012 and will serve as the central warehouse for the supply of wheels, tyres and associated products to both Starco’s OEM and aftermarket customers in Western Europe.
Hankook Tire has released an optimised version of its AH22 truck radial; this new tyre called the AH22+ and is aimed at drivers and fleets operating in regional and delivery traffic. The manufacturer says the all-axle truck and bus tyre makes improved performance possible in both city and overland traffic thanks to an optimised tyre structure with wider belt, reinforced bead and new tread design.
Pyreco, the company behind the proposed Teeside tyre pyrolisis plant, have given a series of presentations to potential suppliers. Richard Tweddle, manager of Pyreco addressed members of the Energy and Environmental Industries Forum this week (12 December), to discuss plans for its planned £85 million pyrolysis plant.
The plant, which will be the first of its kind in Europe will be situated in Wilton on Teesside, and will use specialist technology to deconstruct tyres into their constituent parts, including carbon black, steel, oil and gas.
Danish firm NDI has announced the introduction of its new corporate homepage. The page represents a centralised directory of links to all of its daughter companies in Europe, making it easy to access each national homepage. NDI said that it invites all its customers and co-operative partners to log on to its new web access point at www.ndi.eu.
On the evening of 10 December, the management and employees of Denmark’s Starco celebrated half a century in the business. The 50 year anniversary was commemorated at a function at the home of company CEO Peer Ejlersgaard and at regional Starco premises worldwide.
When the European Parliament adopted a report with recommendations on how to improve European road safety between 2011 and 2020 it supported a number of measures includes a Europe-wide obligation for winter tyre fitment on all vehicles.
According to trade bodies NTDA and the Automotive Aftermarket Federation, the report reiterates the commission’s view that there needs to be a coherent approach to road safety and it calls for road safety issues to be addressed in all relevant policy areas, such as education (e.g. driver training, or information regarding the role of tyres and their proper maintenance), health (eye tests) or environmental and social policy.
HMK, purportedly Europe´s oldest transportation company, relies on Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels. H.M. Kristiansens Automobilbyra AS, more commonly known as HMK, is said to be Europe´s oldest transportation company and is also the largest privately owned coach company in Norway. The firm has been operating from Oslo since 1873.
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