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Monza to Provide “Emotional” Final European GP for Bridgestone

Bridgestone is to supply its Potenza tyres to Formula One for the final time in Europe this weekend, when the 2010 season enters its final four races with a trip to Monza. The Italian Grand Prix offers the challenge of one of the highest top speeds, with long straights bringing low downforce configurations into play, thus putting greater mechanical stress on the tyres. The tyre supplier is bringing its hard and soft compounds to the track for what its Motorsport director Hiroshi Yasukawa says will be “a very emotional… race for us”.

9th September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama to Display New ‘Zenvironment’ Products at IAA 2010

Yokohama has been promoting its ‘Zenvironment’ concept – the reduction of global emissions through tyres that last longer, are retreadable and can be recycled – in Europe since 2008. The current range includes the 104ZR steer axle and 901ZS winter steer axle fitments, and at the upcoming IAA commercial vehicle show in Hannover, Germany, the company intends to extend its Zenvironment portfolio. New additions to be shown in Hannover include the prototype 106ZS steer axle tyre and 107ZL steer axle tyre for long-haul operations.

9th September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

A Valuable Experience – Bridgestone’s Hirohide Hamashima on his F1 years

When Bridgestone packs up its gear following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November, a 14-year chapter in the company’s history will come to a close. Accompanying Bridgestone during its entire Formula One journey has been Bridgestone Motorsport’s director of motorsport tyre development, Hirohide Hamashima. From the very first F1 tyres developed in secret during the late 1980s right through to today, Hamashima has been a central figure in Bridgestone Motorsport’s team. Yet the role he has played in the high profile motorsport championship is one that earlier would have been hard to imagine.

8th September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

OE Truck Tyre Sales a July European Highpoint

European sales of passenger car and light truck tyres during July were well below the market growth previously seen in the year to date. According to data released by Michelin and Pirelli, the original equipment market experienced either slight year-on-year growth or a small decline – Michelin reports a 1.1 per cent year-on-year growth for this sector in July, while Pirelli reports a two per cent market shrinkage during the month. These modest results contrast with year to date original equipment market growth of at least 20 per cent; Michelin reports this growth to be slightly higher, at 21.4 per cent. Year-on-year growth in the replacement passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyre market stood at around five per cent during July (5.1 per cent according to Michelin’s figures), again lower than Michelin and Pirelli’s respective year to date growth figures of 9.1 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

7th September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Klarius Opens Netherlands Warehouse

The Klarius Group has continued to invest and expand across Europe since its acquisition of Quinton Hazell in February of this year. Latterly the exhaust manufacturer opened a new Emission Control Distribution Centre at the existing facility in the Netherlands. The new dedicated Klarius distribution centre is fully integrated with the 1700 square meter Quinton Hazell facility already occupying the site. The warehouse now stocks 3700 different exhausts, 1100 catalytic converters and 1400 mounting and ancillary components; from September it will also stock a full range of Lambda Sensors.

3rd September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Dirk Reurslag Appointed VMI Vice President Sales & Projects

Dirk Reurslag was appointed as the new vice president sales and projects of VMI effective 16 August 2010. He succeeds Harm Voortman, who has recently been appointed as CEO of the VMI Group.

3rd September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Expands Electronic Paper Production at Iwata Plant

Bridgestone Corporation is to expand its electronic paper operations with the installation of a new production line in its Iwata Plant (Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture). According to the company, the new line will entail an investment of approximately ¥1.0 billion ($11.8 million), and will triple the company's production capacity of electronic paper to 15,000 A3 sheets per month, compared to the current capacity of 5,000 A3 sheets per month. Production at the Iwata line will begin this month.

2nd September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Announces Cross-Segment European Price Increase

Bridgestone has announced that it will raise the prices by between 3 and 6 per cent of its consumer, commercial and speciality tyres in Europe during October 2010. Bridgestone Europe CEO and president Makio Ohashi said that “historically high” raw materials prices had necessitated the hike, while “further increases will be necessary in the coming year”.

31st August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Hamilton Wins as Tyre Choices Take Priority in Variable Weather

The impact of the correct tyre choices at the Belgian Grand Prix was underlined by the discrepant fortunes of old team-mates/enemies Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, with the former winning the race and the latter falling victim to poorly timed dry and wet weather tyre fitments. Hamilton used a soft – hard – intermediate tyre strategy throughout an afternoon in which team bosses’ eyes remained on the rain radar. Alonso gambled in qualifying, using up too many fresh soft compound Bridgestone Potenzas. Red Bull’s Mark Webber, an increasingly likely title-challenger, finished second after surviving a terrible start from pole, while Renault’s Robert Kubica finished third, once again underlining his class in a car many believe to be inferior to those of his closest championship rivals, Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg.

31st August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

OTR to Promote ‘Tyre Hire’ Scheme at RWM

OTR Tyres Ltd is to exhibit at the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition (RWM) again this year OTR to promote the benefits of OTR Tyre Hire, a service exclusively designed for the waste management industry in addition to the company’s range of new and retreaded solid, cushion and pneumatic tyres.

31st August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Roadsafe: MOT Must Stay Annual

RoadSafe is urging transport minister Mike Penning, to maintain the MOT test as an annual check-up for vehicles. In 2008, the Department for Transport said the MOT failure rate was high, at 35 per cent. Between 2009 and 10, the failure rate continued its steady increase to 37 per cent. Despite this, the DfT is looking into reducing the required frequency of tests to fall in line with Europe.

In the UK, vehicles must have their first test within three years of registration, and annual tests thereafter. As a minimum, EU law requires vehicles to have their first test when they are four years old and subsequent tests every two years. Most European countries follow the EU minimum requirement and there is pressure on the UK to do the same. RoadSafe is warning that this will lead to more crashes, caused by poorly maintained vehicles.

31st August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Prepared for First Appearance at Moscow Auto Salon

Hankook Tire says it is excited to announce its first appearance at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. The company’s reports that its exhibition space (booth 430 in hall 12 for those of you planning to visit) has been custom designed for this show and reflects the growing importance of the Russian and CIS markets for the company’s future business strategy.

26th August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

MWS: Rising Steel Prices to Increase Aluminium Wheel Demand

The rising cost of steel will result in extra demand for forged aluminium wheels according to Motor Wheel Service (MWS) managing director, John Ellis. Over the last 12 months the price of steel billet has risen from $395 to $475 per tonne, rising as high as $600 per tonne in April 2010, and both the OEM industry and tyre manufacturers have been warned to expect price rises of up to 20 per cent for steel wheels come 1 September 2010. The company believes that when the increase takes effect, the difference between the cost of a steel and a forged aluminium wheel will be at an all time low, making the lighter and traditionally more expensive products a far more attractive proposition for commercial vehicle operators.

25th August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Sumo Firenza Offers Broadening Size Range

The Sumo Firenza brand is continuing on its strategy of being a competitive option within the truck tyre market in both Europe and the UK, according to global distributor Singapore-based Stamford Tyres. In the UK Sumo Firenza truck tyres are exclusively distributed by West Midlands based International Tyres.

Company representatives attribute the brand’s progression to face that its products incorporate Japanese technology and are manufactured in the Far East. In addition Sumo Firenza’s truck tyre portfolio offers a growing size range plus a broadening choice for the Super Singles market.

25th August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Pro-Align Joins TyreSafe

Wheel alignment equipment supplier Pro-Align has become the latest company to join TyreSafe. Pro-Align will support the industry’s safety awareness group’s ongoing campaigns which raise awareness about the dangers associated with defective and illegal tyres. The company will also provide specialist knowledge and advice relating to wheel alignment issues.

25th August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors