The latest figures for sales of new motorcycle and scooter show an overall drop of 2.2% in 2011 compared to 2010. Overall the market has moved away from large motorcycles towards smaller motorcycles and scooters, often used for commuting. This trend is reflected with the biggest sales growth of the year coming from the 51-125cc sector.
The car industry reported that new car registrations fell 4.4 per cent in 2011, with new car demand totalling 1,941,253 units in 2011. That said the total was ahead of the 1.92 million forecast. The SMMT, which collates national registration statistics projected that 2012 will be “broadly flat.” Nevertheless a firmer recovery expected in 2013.
Recently Michelin and truck manufacturer Volvo teamed up to study the influence of tyre and wheel-related factors on fuel consumption – and found having the right tyres, tyre pressure and wheel alignment reduce consumption by up to 15 per cent. Volvo notes this equates to a saving of as much as £6,650 per vehicle per year.
Nexen Tire Corporation recently won the 'Good Design 2011' award for its Winguard Sport, UHP winter tyre. The latest triumph follows winning the International Forum Design Award 2010 and Good Design award from Design Korea 2011.
The Good Design Award is conferred annually by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design together with The European Centre of Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. It honours the yearly achievements of the best industrial and graphic designers and world manufactures for their pursuit of extraordinary design excellence in 25 categories including electronics, transportation, furniture, industrial machinery, architecture and so on.
Founded in 1950, and now in its 62nd year, Good Design is purportedly the world's oldest award of its kind. Submissions to the program are judged by juries on criteria for the highest aesthetic in terms of innovative design, new technologies, form, materials, construction, concept, function, utility, and energy efficiency, and sensitivity to the environment.
ATS Euromaster and Michelin have renewed their contract with full service leasing specialist Arval, whose growing fleet numbers approximately 58,000 maintained contract hire cars and vans. The new contract lasts until the end of 2014.
FleetMatics, a provider of fleet management solutions for commercial fleet vehicles, has announced that The City Bin Co., based in Dublin, Ireland, has selected FleetMatics to deliver GPS monitoring solutions to improve operational efficiency while reducing costs.
The City Bin Co. was founded with the concept of providing "cheaper, greener and easier" waste management and recycling services. "With 28 vehicles, the reasons for implementing a vehicle tracking system were simple," says City Bin Operations Director Niamh Bray. "I wanted to know where certain trucks were going and be able to plan routes to prevent any overlap."
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Leicestershire-based industrial product specialist, SIP Limited is reporting a growing demand for its range of trade and professional propane, diesel and infrared heaters, as garages react to the dropping temperatures. The company singles out its professional diesel/kerosene stainless steel space heaters as a product that has generated the warmest interest.
Richbrook designers have attempted to give one of the dullest of all motoring accessories a stylish look, while simultaneously solving what it terms “one of the great perennial motoring problems”. With the firm’s new ‘Never Lose’ valve caps, it aims to prevent the persistent annoyance of the conscientious motorist each time they check their tyre pressures.
North Somerset’s Alvis Contracting has fit its four new Stewart silage trailers with Michelin CargoXbib trailer tyres. The manufacturer says the decision to fit dedicated agricultural trailer tyres on the trailers mirrors a policy being adopted across the company’s fleet, with seven 10-year old silage trailers being upgraded with air brakes and a set of CargoXbibs during 2011.
The Rubber Manufacturers Association, which represents the manufacturers accountable for more than 90 per cent of all US tyre shipments, has lowered its 2011 tyre shipment forecast by one per cent due to downward revisions in year-end economic growth in the US. This revised full-year forecast of 287 million total units is approximately two million units more than in 2010. For next year, the RMA retains a “guardedly optimistic” forecast as US economic growth is anticipated to remain slow, and the association expects overall tyre shipments in 2012 to increase by more than two per cent to over 290 million total units.
A new range of Toyo eco tyres is scheduled for release in Japan next February ahead of its launch in other regions, including Europe. Known as the Nanoenergy, the new tyre has been developed with a focus on reducing rolling resistance; Toyo says the tyre boasts a ‘AAA’ rolling resistance rating according to the labelling system introduced by the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA). This, the label’s highest rating, is given to tyres with a rolling resistance coefficient lower or equal to 6.5.
In announcing details of its recently-signed fleet agreement with contract hire and direct rental firm Alltruck, Bridgestone UK comments that securing the deal was not achieved solely on cost. Rather, the combination of a state-of-the-art account system and the durability of its products were the major factors in helping land the contract.
Goodyear has announced the first fleet deal involving its new 275/70R22.5 Marathon LHT II trailer tyre. One of the largest car transporter companies in the UK, ECM Ltd, fit the tyre to one of its vehicles at a 25 November event in Carlisle to mark the deal. ECM Ltd has an existing partnership with TruckForce, Goodyear’s truck tyre service and breakdown assistance support network. The tyre has been specifically introduced to the Goodyear range for ECM, with the product to be made available to the wider market later. Robert Mason, Goodyear’s regional business manager said: “I am delighted that we are able to strengthen the partnership that we have maintained with ECM Ltd over the last eight years.
The Retail Motor Industry Federation’s RMI Petrol department has welcomed chancellor George Osborne’s decision not to increase fuel duty in January. “RMI Petrol believe the chancellor has made the right decision to cancel the fuel duty increase planned for 1 January 2012” Brian Madderson, RMI Petrol chairman.
The association reports that the increase would have raised prices at the pump by 4.00 pence per litre (ppl) within days. Based on current average UK pricing this would have pushed diesel to a new record high at over 145ppl and this grade is steadily gaining market share at the expense of petrol.
Following the announcement of the government’s Autumn budget statement, which included the news that the planned 3p rise in fuel duty in January is to be cancelled, Bridgestone has been the first to publically respond to what this means for motorists. In addition to the fuel duty increase cancellation, there will a 1 per cent cap on public sector pay rises for two years after the end of current freeze next year. Borrowing is £112 billion more over the next four years than previous forecasts, but debt interest payments are £22 billion less than expected.
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