Goodyear is inviting transport and logistics companies based in Europe to participate in its Sustainable Reality Survey and share their insights regarding more sustainable transportation. To encourage participation, the tyre maker will plant a tree for each fleet respondent completing the survey in collaboration with non-profit reforestation organisation Tree-Nation.
Bridgestone will serve as the exclusive tyre supplier to the Fisker Ocean. Announcing its selection of Bridgestone yesterday, the US-based carmaker shared that its all-electric SUV will ride on custom-developed Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres featuring Enliten technology in Europe. It will offer the Potenza Sport on selected models sold in North America as well, equipping other models with the all-season Alenza Sport.
Goodyear and TyreOps have created a connection to allow fleet, job and inspection data to be synchronised when carrying out work for fleets in a move that stretches across Europe. According to the companies, the connection will allow tyre businesses within the Goodyear network to save up to 50 per cent of admin time when carrying out fleet work and allows TyreOps users to manage assigned Goodyear fleets alongside their existing customers. As well as time savings and efficiency gains, the move is designed to “eliminate the need for double entry of data”.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has introduced a tyre intelligence solution for cargo van fleets. Called Goodyear SightLine, the solution will initially be available in Europe and North America, and later this year Goodyear will also offer it to original equipment customers and emerging fleet and mobility providers.
Cooper Tire has “officially joined the Goodyear team”. That’s how Cooper Tire general manager EMEA, Jaap Van Wessum characterised the takeover of the company by fellow US tyremaker Goodyear, which was completed on 7 June 2021. Van Wessum also offered further details of what Cooper’s integration into Goodyear means for Cooper suppliers and partners.
Birla Carbon will increase the price for all products produced in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region by 97 euros per metric tonne. All shipments made on or after 1 June 2021 are subject to the price increase.
After commencing tests of its tyres in Europe last year, Prinx Chengshan returns in 2021 to continue its testing programme. The Chinese tyre maker is utilising a number of sites, including Applus IDIADA in Spain and a facility in Ivalo, Finland, in order to test its winter, all-season and UHP summer tyres.
Tomohiko Masuta has been named as managing director of both Falken Tyre Europe GmbH and Sumitomo Rubber Europe GmbH. Masuta joined Sumitomo Rubber Industries in 1985, first gaining experience in the Product Development department. In the 1990s, he moved to the Original Equipment (OE) area of the business before being dispatched to support the development of the Dunlop brand in European countries. In 2015, he was appointed general manager of OE Tyre Business for SRI, with his most recent role being general manager of the Automotive System Division. In his new appointment, Masuta will oversee the SRI group companies in the EMEA region and Falken businesses in Europe and will drive the growth of OE customers within the region.
From 1 May, the new EU rules on the energy labelling of on-road tyres apply at consumer level. Updating the label first introduced for car and van tyres in 2012, the new rules require that tyres for buses and lorries must now be labelled – and offer a new pictogram, where relevant, to highlight tyres suitable for use in snow or in extreme, icy conditions.
All electricity consumed in Bridgestone’s European locations now comes from renewable sources. The tyre maker reports that all its European tyre plants, the European R&D Centre and Proving Ground in Rome, Italy, its pre-cured retreading materials plant in Lanklaar, Belgium, textile plant in Usansolo, Spain, and Bridgestone EMIA headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, are now powered by electricity from 100 per cent renewable sources.
Ford is the latest car manufacturer to embrace an comprehensive electrification strategy. As Tyrepress reported earlier in the week, Ford is transforming its Cologne factory into a hub for electric car manufacturing, with the aim of making all its passenger cars sold in Europe zero emissions capable by mid-2026.
Every Ford passenger vehicle sold in Europe in five years’ time will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, and by 2030 the range will be completely all-electric. Similarly, Ford’s entire commercial vehicle range will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2024, with two-thirds of Ford’s commercial vehicle sales expected to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030.
As of 1 March 2021, the price of the rubber materials that Marangoni Retreading Systems supplies for tyre retreading will increase by 0.20 euros per kilogramme in all European markets. Marangoni says this increase reflects price increases for raw materials used within the sector.
As part of a range of structural changes taking effect on 1 April, Toyo Tires will draw upon its experiences making tyres for the demanding European market in order to benefit its development programme for other regions. The tyre maker is integrating its Europe/Module Development department, which currently operates under the Technology Development division within its R&D Headquarters, into the R&D Headquarters’ Replacement Tire Development department.
The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) published its members’ sales for the year 2020 as well as the last quarter of 2020, reporting that Covid 19 “strong affected” the market. The Original Equipment (OE) segments were said to have been “most strongly affected”, recording reductions of -23 per cent in the consumer tyre business and -18 per cent in truck tyres. That much is logical in light of the widespread closure of vehicle manufacturing under pandemic-related lockdown conditions across Europe during 2020.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
Cooper Tire
Falken
Ford
ETRMA