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Indian Tyre Industry Seeks Radial Duty Reduction

The All India Tyre Dealers’ Federation has urged the Indian finance ministry to rationalise excise duty on automotive tyres, supporting the introduction of radial tyres. In its pre-budget memorandum, the federation requested the government to fix excise duty on radial tyres at the rate of 16 per cent on heavy vehicles and at 8 per cent for tractors to boost the sales of radial tyres. The federation has also been pressuring the authorities to lower import duty on tyres.

24th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Innovations Signify Long-Term Strategy

In addition to the recently publicised Tweel and Airless Wheel puncture-proof products, Michelin has unveiled a third concept aimed at pioneering the development of the tyre. As a company Michelin spends around 4.5 per cent of its turnover on research and development, the Active Wheel is just one result of this. Aimed at electric and fuel-cell cars, the Active Wheel is an integrated module, which is made up of a conventional tyre, active electric suspension, a disc brake and an electric motor, which is designed to provide traction and much of the braking power.

According to the manufacturer, the Active Wheel is the result of a total rethink of the movement transmission process. In addition to rolling and driving forward, as any wheel does, the new concept also acts as a suspension unit. The result is that the need for a gearbox, clutch, shock absorbers and transmission shaft is removed, saving considerable amounts of weight.

Michelin is shying away from whole-heartedly backing any one of its products but instead appears to be playing the opening gambit of a long-term strategy. It is conceivable that in a decade or two any one of these innovations will be accepted as standard.

18th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Aims to Start Tyre Revolution

The answer is – when it is a Tweel. Michelin has been demonstrating the direction that it would like to take tyres by exhibiting one of its most recent developments at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show.

The Tweel is an airless tyre/wheel concept that consists of a band of tread attached to a set of flexible polyurethane spokes. According to Michelin executives, this design makes for a “virtually indestructible vehicle tyre” that can be tuned for handling. The same executives also concede that any practical applications could be as much as 15 years away.

10th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Waste Not – Want not

The story of a successful industry initiative

The EU Landfill Directive prohibited the landfill of whole tyres from 1 July 2003 in all EU states and will ban the landfill of shredded tyres by 1 July 2006. Fortunately, however, the UK has a well-developed collection system and a diverse recycling infrastructure for old tyres when compared to many countries. Currently most of Britain’s tyres end up in some kind of beneficial re-use.

Britain’s motorists, hauliers and others collectively generate over 400,000 tonnes of waste tyres annually. Industry estimates suggest that at least three quarters of these are already re-used in some form or other. Some of the many ways in which tyres can be reused include as fuel, carpet underlay, recreational surfaces and in the form of granulates. In the truck sector retreading is a highly efficient re-use of a worn tyre. Using tyres as fuel for cement kilns is another way of re-using large quantities of tyres.

And there is considerable remaining capacity for the UK’s cement kilns to take additional tonnage. At the same time the number of new uses for old tyres continues to increase. The fact that tyres have a very high calorific value means, as a fuel, they are not dissimilar to coal. Furthermore, when burned as a co-fuel, tyres can improve the general combustion quality considerably.

For all of these reasons tyre manufacturers, with the help of the TIC’s Responsible Recycler Scheme, are confident that the UK will continue to meet the terms of this major EU directive. If there is a downside to this positive story it is that beneficial and responsible recycling comes at a price – albeit a modest one. However small though, it is a price that a few companies still seem unwilling to pay.

To promote some more robust standards in the collection and disposal of end-of-life tyres and to help eradicate the scourge of ‘fly-tipping’ and rogue operators, Tyre Industry Council launched its Responsible Recycler Scheme in late 1999 and although just five years old, this flagship initiative has come a long way in a short time. Though initially restricted to just tyre collection companies, it was quickly realised that the commonality of interests between collectors and reprocessers demanded that the Scheme’s remit be widened to include reprocessors as well.

Behind the formation of the scheme was the clear recognition that used tyre collection and re-processing were businesses which deserved recognition in their own right and which together had an important role to play in helping tyre manufacturers, retailers and indeed government itself to meet the EU Landfill Directive on used tyres. Those leading the scheme realised at an early stage that whether or not the concept of producer responsibility was introduced into the UK there was a need for collectors and re-processors alike to adopt concepts of “best practice” in response to the challenges ahead. That is why today the scheme puts great emphasis on its audit regime and believes it can demonstrate full traceability, something that is essential for maintaining a good reputation.

For the TIC, transparency, traceability and accountability are cornerstones of its scheme. Responsible retailers, fleet companies and other tyre users that work with scheme members are guaranteed that the tyres collected by the Responsible Recycler Scheme companies are disposed of in an environmentally friendly and acceptable method. Whether they are recycled or used as fuel in cement kilns, the Responsible Recycler Scheme helps its members comply with their duty of care obligations as well as protecting the environment.

As a measure of its success the scheme continues to grow and to attract international interest. From a single founder member in 1999, it now has reached a temporary ‘high’ of 22, with more applications in the pipeline. In fact such is the sense of purpose and collective professionalism that the scheme has engendered that its members elected to become a trade body in their own right, known as the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). Apart from operating the Responsible Recycler Scheme, which is now a registered trade mark, on behalf of the Tyre Industry Council, the TRA will have the independent ability to pursue specific issues at both industry and government levels, generate performance data specific to its members businesses, as well as develop stronger international links right across Europe.

5th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

US to Test Rolling Resistance

The US independent tyre testing company, Smithers Scientific Services, has been awarded a $400,000 (£210,000) contract from the California Energy Commission to conduct a study of tyre characteristics in relation to rolling resistance.

The study will involve tyre rolling resistance, traction and treadwear testing, and according to the company will potentially serve as the basis for a fuel efficiency reporting system and minimum- efficiency standards.

4th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Donates to Tsunami Victims

Continental is contributing $500,000 dollars for the tsunami victims in Asia. According to reports the company is currently working with aid organisations to determine whether a proportion of the donation should take the form of material resources.

The provision of portable 300,000 liter fuel tanks made by ContiTech AG for use in the crisis region is a possibility. Tyres for off-road vehicles or trucks from the Continental production in Malaysia could also be contributed. In addition, the company is also asking its employees throughout the world to contribute to the public fundraising campaigns for the victims.

4th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Rolling Resistance Testing Contract for Smithers

Testing, research and consulting firm Smithers Scientific Services Inc. – with headquarters in Akron/Ohio (USA) – has confirmed that it has been awarded a $400,000 contract from the California Energy Commission to conduct a study of tire characteristics as they relate to rolling resistance. The study, funded by the Energy Commission, will involve tire rolling resistance, traction and treadwear testing, and will potentially serve as the basis for a fuel efficiency reporting system and minimum- efficiency standards. “Lower tire rolling resistance can directly lead to better vehicle fuel economy,” said David L. Schwarz, vice president of technical services and sales for Smithers. “However, as with any tire characteristic, there are potential tradeoffs. Thus, the Energy Commission study is not limited to rolling resistance testing. Additional work will be conducted to evaluate other performance attributes.” He pointed out that currently there is “really no information, in terms of tire rolling resistance or fuel economy, available to a consumer purchasing replacement tires.” The study will take about 18 months to complete. The rolling resistance testing will be conducted at Smithers’ indoor tire testing laboratories in Ravenna, Ohio.

23rd December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Getting a Grip Gets Better, Thanks to Goodyear and GE

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and General Electric – specifically, GE Advanced Materials, Silicones – teamed up for breakthrough technology in new auto tyres. A unique tyre, Goodyear’s Assurance featuring TripleTred Technology, is the result of this technology.

20th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Into the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ on Bridgestone Tyres

Gerhard Plattner, an Austrian journalist and specialist in fuel economy record-breaking, succeeded in crossing ten European countries using just one tank of diesel. His trip began on 16th November 2004 in the German town of Lindau, on Lake Constance, with a full sealed tank and the firm intention to cross as many countries as possible without refuelling. After first travelling through Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, he returned to Austria via the Feldkirch border crossing. The road took him further through the South Tyrolean Puster Valley, and on to Slovenia, West Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia. After a 1,160-km journey lasting 15 hours and 7 minutes, Plattner reached his final destination: the Czech Republic. On arriving in the tenth country of this epic ‘Eco Tour’, he parked his Golf V TDI running on Bridgestone „B390 Eco” tyres with the Volkswagen dealer in Brünn. “Above all, I would like to praise the Bridgestone ‘B390’ tyres. I have used them on previous record attempts and, yet again, they’ve performed splendidly. Not only do they have excellent fuel saving qualities, but they’re also comfortable and have first-rate handling characteristics,“ said Plattner after his tour throughout Europa which earned him a place in the ‘Guinness Book of Records’.

20th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Wing Lining Not Tyres to Blame in Concorde Crash

The combination of a rogue piece of metal and thin fuel tank lining, not the tyres, were to blam in the devastating Concorde crash of 2000, a French judge has ruled. The horrific accident claimed the lives of more than 400 people when a strip of titanium from a Continental Airlines DC-10 caused a puncture in the Concorde’s tyres. The shattering remains of the tyre punctured the aircraft’s thin fuel tanks, causing the tragedy, Judge Christophe Regnard’s report found. In the immediate aftermath Goodyear, the exclusive tyre supplier at the time, came under suspicion, with suggests that the tyre could have caused the disaster.

15th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

1 in 8 Vehicles ‘Dangerous’

Recent research carried by car care company, motoreasy has found that one in eight vehicles has at least one illegal and potentially dangerous tyre. Based on more than 1,000 tyre inspections taken at a number of the company’s approved independent garages across the UK. According to the research a further 24 per cent of tyres had tread so close to the legal requirement, a replacement would be needed “imminently.”

Regionally, Londoners were found to be the worst offenders, with a fifth of the cars tested running on tyres below the legal limit. In contrast, motorists in Scotland had the highest pass rate with only 6 per cent of cars in need of a replacement tyre.

The current legislation requires tread depth to be at least 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the width of the tyre. This rule also applies to the spare tyre. Even so 17 per cent of those inspected were illegal, or would be following what the company describes as “a short usage.”

Quite apart from the obvious safety benefits of having correctly fitted tyres (shorter stopping distances, reduced likelihood of aquaplaning), according to this research, drivers are foregoing the main financial benefit of using safe tyres, i.e. improved fuel economy. Not to mention the legal costs: three penalty points and a fine of up to £2,500 per tyre.

“Added to this, insurance companies are within their rights not to pay out on claims if the vehicle insured is not in a roadworthy condition. It’s shocking that so many motorists seem to ignore the conditions of their tyres – something that should ideally be checked every fortnight,” commented Motoreasy managing director David Gerrans adding: “A simple method of checking the tread is to use a 5 pence coin. Slot an upside down coin into the tread of the tyre and the depth should come up to the top of the Queen’s crown. If you don’t reach the crown, it’s likely your treads are nearing the end of their life and should be replaced.”

If Motoreasy’s research is correct, millions of drivers are failing to meet the minimum legal standard. In light of this, it makes the manufacturers and UK trade associations attempts to introduce a three-millimetre minimum tread depth look a fair way off.

13th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Ceat launches all steel truck radials

Ceat has entered the Indian all-steel truck radial market, with products designed and manufactured for the Indian market by Pirelli, Europe. In the 2004/2005 financial year, the company projects a sales turnover in the region of 19.05 billion rupees (approximately £220 million). Ceat says it is eager to tap into the growing truck radial market hoping that eventually 10-15 per cent of its business will come from steel radials.

Currently the use of truck steel radials in India is about two per cent, the is considerably less than neighbouring Pakistan (35 per cent) and a world apart from Europe (90 per cent). The proportion of steel readial in the Indian truck tyre market is projected to touch 10 per cent by 2007, Ceat’s vice-president, sales and marketing, Kalyan K Paul, said.

According to the company, the use of its truck radial products can increase initial mileage by over 50 per cent, achieve fuel savings off up to 10 per cent and provide better traction and braking.

2nd December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Firestone Helps Keep America Tidy

Firestone Tire & Service Centers helped to collect 1.2 million scrap tyres, fit for recycling, as part of Keep America Beautiful’s (KAB) Great American Cleanup.

“We wanted to build on last year’s success by helping Keep America Beautiful reach the 1 million tyre mark and continue increasing the recycling of used automotive batteries and engine oil,” said Larry Magee, CEO and president of BFRC. “Through the involvement of our teammates across the country, we not only met but surpassed this year’s goal. Firestone is proud to be a part of Keep America Beautiful’s efforts, and of our company’s track record in protecting the environment and helping strengthen our communities.”

22nd November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Plea for MOT Privatisation

A long-running civil strike in Northern Ireland, that began earlier this year, has had a “devastating effect on the industry,” say market representatives. The dispute has had adverse affects on the operations of the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency Northern Ireland (DVTA) which handles all MOTs and HGV tests and there is call to privatise all vehicle testing.

12th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Wholesale in the 21st Century

Wholesalers across the world have noted that the face of tyre wholesaling is changing. “The tyre world is getting smaller everyday,” says one company, “there is a lot consolidation going on,” adds another. Yet despite the spiraling costs of raw material and fuel, a number of wholesalers are claiming that business is better than ever. In a new ‘Question of the month’ Tyres & Accessories invites national and international wholesalers to give their comments on the state of wholesaling asking the question: Which factors are the greatest threats to the wholesaling business?

To add your answer to the current question of the month, and to participate in the discussion please click here

13th October 2004/by Tyrepress Editors