A joint project between Sumitomo Rubber Industries, parent company of Falken Tyre Europe, and Professor Hiroshi Tani of Japan’s Kansai University has resulted in the development of an innovative power generator for tyres. It generates electricity from the rotation of the tyre and uses this to power peripheral sensors installed within the tyre. In this way, the sensors can operate without the need for batteries.
Falken Tyre Europe will increase the prices of its entire product portfolio by nine per cent on 1 May 2022. Falken states the increase reflects global rises in costs for raw materials, energy, and logistics. This price rise does not affect UK Falken customers, where the brand is distributed exclusively by Micheldever Tyre Services. Like Falken, MTS is owned by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. A Falken spokesperson told Tyrepress that MTS would inform its customers of any price rise affecting the UK.
Falken Tyres has formed a new partnership with the European Handball Federation. As part of the deal – brokered by Infront – it will benefit from a tailor-made partner package for the 15th edition of the EURO tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Hungary and Slovakia between 13 and 30 January 2022.
Falken Tyre Europe has further expanded its warehousing in Germany by becoming an anchor tenant of tyre wholesaler Tyroo GmbH. Located near the centre of Germany, the Tyreoo site in Neuhof enables Falken to continue developing its retail strategy, expand its customer base amongst car dealers and increase its presence in the German market.
In July, Falken Tyre Europe announced that its Falken Ziex ZE310A Ecorun was an original equipment tyre for the Audi A3 TFSI e hybrid. This supply agreement has now been extended to other Audi A3 models. Falken is shipping Ziex ZE310 Ecorun tyres in size 205/55R16 91V to the Audi plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. All such tyres will bear the AO – Audi Original – mark on the sidewall.
Seat has selected one of Falken’s most popular tyre models, the Ziex ZE310 Ecorun, as a factory fitment. Seat Leon models rolling of the line at the car maker’s plant in Martorell, Spain will wear the tyre in size 205/55 R16. An additional ‘A’ in the product name will set these tyres apart as original equipment Seat tyres – the OE tyre is thus known as the Falken Ziex ZE310 A Ecorun.
The first Falken tyre to feature Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ proprietary Coreseal puncture sealant technology goes on sale in Europe this month. Coreseal will initially be available on two sizes of the all-season Falken Euroall Season AS210 pattern.
Falken Tyres shares that one of its longest-running driver/team partnerships will “take a different direction” in 2021. Peter Dumbreck will switch from driving to a brand ambassador and adviser role at Falken Motorsports.
A decade on from debuting a sole Porsche 997 GT3 R on the Nordschleife, Falken will field a pair of the latest-generation 911 GT3 R cars in both the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) and 24-Hour race in 2021. Schnabl Engineering, the German specialist that has supported the tyre manufacturer since 2011, will continue to run the Falken Motorsports team this year.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, the manufacturer of the global Falken tyre brand has temporarily shut down its factory in South Africa on government orders. All of its other tyre manufacturing facilities are currently operational, though staff at the Falken Tyre Europe headquarters in Germany are working remotely where possible, or following social distancing guidelines.
Figures recently published by the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA) show that its members produced almost 242 million tyres in all segments of the replacement market in 2019, two to three per cent fewer than the 248 million tyres produced a year earlier.
Start making the popcorn – a new film from Falken Tyres is about to debut. Called ’20 Years, 20 Stories’, the film covers the brand’s 20th-anniversary celebration at the 24 Hours Nürburgring last year and shares the experience of the legendary race as told by 24 people before, during and after the event.
The Audi Q3 is the latest vehicle to be factory-fitted with Falken tyres. The compact SUV will be fitted with the Falken Ziex ZE914 A EC AO pattern in size 215/65R17 99V. Commenting on Audi’s selection of the tyre, Christian Stolting, key OE account manager at Falken Tyre Europe GmbH, said: “The Audi engineers’ decision highlights once again the excellent quality and the capability of our tyres.”
Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach has a new premium partner and official tyre partner for the 2019-20 season. The football club, which finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, is now working together with Falken.
Falken Tyre and Micheldever Tyre Services have extended a regional advertising campaign to bolster UK awareness of the Falken brand.
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