Yokohama UK appoints Peter Fairlie as CEO
Yokohama HPTFollowing his departure from Prometeon last month, Peter Fairlie has been named as the new CEO of Yokohama HPT Ltd and will officially join the company on 13 July 2022.
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Hankook Ventus iON S: new summer tyre for e-cars to join global tyre family
HankookHankook has launched the Ventus iON S, the first summer tyre in a new product range that has been specifically designed for electric vehicles. By taking this approach, the company wants to make a decisive contribution from a tyre choice perspective to advancing the mobility transition towards zero-emission vehicles. The new summer tyre is a pioneer of the new, global “iON” tyre family designed for premium electric vehicles, which will include the Hankook Winter i*cept iON in September 2022.
UK replacement 17”-plus tyre market increasing in value, size – GfK
GfK data shows that the 17” and above UK tyre replacement market continues to offer both increased volume and value. While the 19” and above segment retains the characteristics of specialised fitments, the top two fitments account for more than one-fifth of replacement tyres sized 17-18”.
West, Central European replacement tyre market accelerating towards larger tyres
With a wave of new ultra-high performance products from global brands arriving in the post-pandemic market, Tyres & Accessories looks at data supplied by specialist tyre industry analyst Astutus Research showing just how quickly the market for high rim diameter (HRD) tyres is now growing in Western and Central Europe (this data excludes Russia, Ukraine and the rest of Eastern Europe).
Chinese truck tyre tariffs to persist in UK?
The Court of Justice of The European UnionThe European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) judgement that the European Union’s anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs should be annulled has been welcomed by many of those responsible for distributing these products across the continent. Yet for importers of these products in post-Brexit United Kingdom, the truck tyre tariffs introduced by the European Commission appear to be persisting. Speaking to representatives of the Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ITMA), the association whose members are most directly concerned with these tariffs, Tyres & Accessories now understands that the UK’s Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) does not intend to annul the tariffs since the ECJ’s judgement does not apply legally in the UK, even considering the view that the tariffs were implemented improperly under EC law. It follows that the status quo on these tariffs will be maintained, at least until the TRA reaches tyres in its review of the lengthy list of trade remedies inherited from the UK’s time as a member of the EU. Until such a review takes place, the tariffs will continue to apply until at least November 2023, and UK importers are effectively blocked from joining European colleagues in ending and recouping duties found to be improperly implemented.
Hankook opens Asia’s largest tyre proving ground
HankookOn 25 May, Hankook opened the Hankook Technoring, its new proving ground in Taean, South Korea. The new facility is the largest in Asia with an area of 1.26 million square metres and will serve as a state-of-the-art research and development facility for Hankook’s pioneering products.
Hankook tyres help set altitude record
HankookHankook has been instrumental in setting a new Guinness World Records title with Challenge4 record-breaking driver Rainer Zietlow, in conquering the South American Andes. The all-electric vehicle reached a height of 5,816 metres up the Uturuncu volcano, which has two peaks reaching 6,008 and 5,930 metres. Zietlow set the new record on Hankook’s new all-terrain tyre, the Dynapro AT2.
UHP focus for latest Nexen all-season range
When Nexen Tire first threw its hat into the ring of Europe’s all-season tyre market a decade ago, most motorists – and most tyre makers – considered these products best suited to smaller cars with just a handful of horses under the bonnet. Product development has brought all-season tyres a long way since then, and attitudes have changed too. So it was that when Nexen recently launched its latest tyre for this segment, there wasn’t a single dimension for runabouts or city cars to be seen.
Bridgestone launches Fleetcare tyre, fleet management solution
BridgestoneBridgestone has launched Fleetcare, the tyre manufacturer’s integrated tyre and fleet management solution. The new solution represents an evolution of Bridgestone’s Total Tyre Care, combining Bridgestone tyres and tyre management solutions with fleet management solutions from Webfleet. Bridgestone says Fleetcare offers a “complete package” of efficiency tools targeting the reduction of total cost of ownership from a single mobility partner.
The Chinese tyre industry’s current struggle for survival
China’s economy appears to have stalled since 2022. Recent data shows that the value-added of the manufacturing fell by 4.6 per cent year-on-year in April. An integral part of the national manufacturing machine, China’s tyre industry is also under pressure. “The most important task of our enterprise at this stage is to survive,” one Shandong tyre factory owner told Tyres & Accessories.
The Tire Cologne – organiser reports “strong” show
After its cancellation in 2020, The Tire Cologne has made a long-awaited return. The trade fair took place in its namesake city this week, and organiser Koelnmesse says the strength of the 2022 event confirms its position as the “leading international platform of the global tyre and wheel industries.”
ZC Rubber launches Westlake, Goodride European flagship tyres
ZC RubberZC Rubber has launched new flagship tyres in its Westlake and Goodride European ultra-high performance car tyre ranges at The Tire Cologne 2022. The Westlake ZuperAce Z-007 and Goodride Solmax 1 are designed to deliver quieter running, increased grip, and handling performance, ZC Rubber says. The manufacturer adds that it has upgraded the tyre structure with core technologies from ZC Rubber, BPOT technology and Hybrid formula. The Westlake ZuperAce Z-007 and Goodride Solmax 1 will be available in ranges of 17-22 inch sizes for the European market starting in June 2022. Both tyres will be fully introduced throughout Europe and Southeast Asia in the second half of 2022, following the initial roll-out.
Hankook signs 5-year agreement with Vaculug retreading business in UK and Ireland
HankookHankook has signed a five-year agreement to produce Hankook Alphatread retreaded tyres in the UK. The tyre manufacturer wants to expand the Alphatread brand as part of its commercial vehicle tyre strategy. Vaculug is one of Europe’s largest independent retread producers, and first became Hankook’s retreading partner in the UK in 2018. The retreader will also work with Hankook products as a premium fitment for all its fleets.
Giorgio Luca Bruno named Pirelli’s next CEO
Giorgio Luca Bruno will succeed Marco Tronchetti Provera as chief executive officer of Pirelli. In a statement published on Monday, Pirelli investor Camfin S.p.A announced that Bruno will take responsibility for the operational implementation of the group’s strategies, freeing Tronchetti Provera to guide group strategy and oversee the implementation of the Pirelli business plan as executive vice-chairman, a role he is confirmed to hold until spring 2026. Camfin views the transition as one that ensures the “continuation of the managerial culture of Pirelli.”
Growth despite challenges: Torque from the Top – Kumho Tyre UK managing director, Keon Park
KumhoContinuing our ongoing series of Torque from the top special interviews with influential industry figures, here Tyres & Accessories hears from Keon Park managing director, Kumho Tyre UK, who shares Kumho’s perspective on the challenges and triumphs of the last couple of years as well as the well-known brand’s hopes for the future.
“Torque from the Top” is a regularly feature in the print edition of Tyres & Accessories magazine. Not a subscriber? No problem, click here to become one.
