The SmarTire TPMS system, now the property of new owner Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, has gone on the market in North America. Bendix is targeting sales at fleets through its network of OES and independent aftermarket partners across the region.
(Tire Review) Tyre companies are hawking the fuel efficiency of their latest tyres, and the buying public is apparently warming up to the concept. According to a new Babcox Research survey of independent tyre dealers in the USA, 66 per cent of tyre buyers view a tyre’s fuel efficiency as at least “important” in their tyre selection process, up from only 47 per cent in 2008. Eight percent said fuel efficiency was their “most important” criteria, up from just 1 per cent last year. Another 35 per cent see a tyre’s fuel efficiency as “important” to them (up from 31 per cent in 2008), and 23 per cent see it as “pretty important,” up from 15 per cent last year. Still, 44 per cent rate fuel efficiency as “not very important” or “not important at all,” down from 52 per cent in 2008.
Australia’s national broadcaster has reported on World Health Organization concerns that the country’s tyre industry and its trade with South East Asia is responsible for health hazards within the region. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s current affairs programme “The World Today”, some two-thirds of the scrap tyres generated in Australia each year – a quantity equalling 250,000 tonnes – are sent to Asian countries, and the quantity shipped there has tripled in the last 18 months.
The Environment Agency has given Cemex the green light to burn fossil fuel substitute Climafuel on a permanent basis in its Rugby cement works. Trials using a combination of Climafuel, which is made from household waste, and shredded waste tyres satisfied the agency that the material can be used without harmful effects on the environment or human health.
The first in Cooper’s 4×4 product portfolio to be developed outside the USA, the Zeon 4XS, says the American manufacturer, has been designed specifically to meet the demands of European 4×4 vehicles on European roads. The tyre will include fitments for the Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, BMW X5, Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and Mercedes M-Class, and will be available to buy in the UK and mainland Europe from early November.
This year’s MPG Marathon took place on Wednesday September 30 and Thursday October 1, and Michelin’s Stoke-on-Trent headquarters fielded two teams in the event. Factory manager Peter Marsh and environmental manager Ian Cowie and Michelin Purchasing staff Charlie Watts and Mick Underhill took part in the 360 mile marathon, driving Peugeot 308 HDi cars – the vehicle used to set a world record of 126 miles per gallon in the UK – and fitted with Michelin Energy Saver tyres. The two teams finished in 9th and 11th place in the overall standings.
Kwik-Fit and Michelin have teamed up this autumn to give away around 300,000 litres of fuel. Motorists who purchase four Michelin tyres at any Kwik-Fit centre before 28th November 2009 can claim a £40 fuel voucher redeemable at any Sainsbury’s filling stations. In addition to free petrol, motorists will also benefit from a 25 per cent discount on the price of four tyres.
A new Hankook commercial vehicle radial known as the “e-cube” is being rolled out in European markets. And while at first glance the name may seem an unusual choice for a round product, Hankook Tire Europe explains the sense behind the new long-haul tyre’s given moniker: Three developmental directions have gone into the e-cube; namely energy and low rolling resistance, economy and high mileage, and environment (reduced hazardous materials and low rolling noise). These three “e” words are all equally important and thus can be represented by a three-dimensional geometric shape with equal length edges – in other words, a cube.
Bridgestone has been selected to supply tyres for the Airbus A350 XWB (eXtra Wide Body). The tyres fitted to the aircraft, comments the Japanese tyre major, will include its “RRR” (Revolutionary Reinforced Radial) construction, which Bridgestone says will contribute to reduced fuel consumption, enhanced cost management, and improved safety.
In three years all new tyres on sale in Europe will be classified and labelled for fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise performance. Yesterday (Thursday 1 October) European Parliament Industry Committee and Council negotiators reached a political agreement on a labelling system similar to that used for household appliances. However, lobby group Transport & Environment said the revised text would effectively turn the scheme into a voluntary programme, with “no clear rules on how or where the labels should be displayed.”
Like the European energy label we have come to expect on our new fridges and washing machines, the tyre label will use classes ranging from best-performance (green “A” class) to worst (red “G” class). Besides indicating how much the tyre affects the car's fuel efficiency, it will also give information about its performance in wet conditions and its external rolling noise in decibels.
The revised text for what is known as regulation 316 addresses earlier concerns from inside the tyre trade about the practical application of tyre labelling. MEPs acknowledged that, unlike household appliances, tyres are not always on display in shops. As a result they “insisted” that retailers be “obliged to show the label to the buyer before the sale and also on, or with, bills.”
Hankook’s Optimo 4S was named the champion of Auto Bild’s major All-Season Tyre Test, with testers noting the tyre’s “absolutely impressive all-round talent.” The all-weather specialist was named the overall winner, having taken first place in five individual categories, and won the label of “Exemplary” over the rest of the competition. Like last year, the Auto Bild editorial desk confirmed that the Optimo 4S delivers peak performance in categories including braking, traction on wet surfaces and hydroplaning. The tyre also received special praise for having the lowest rolling resistance in the test, beating all of its competitors. The company was keen to stress this aspect of the test most in its press release after the award, saying that, in the vehicle segment tested – exemplified by the Ford Fiesta –fitment of its tyres could lead to average savings of more than 50 litres of fuel and 120 kg of CO2 over the life of the tyre.
National Tyre and Autocare (NTA), in association with Bridgestone Tyres, recently awarded Margaret Beattie of New Elgin with free fuel for a year after she won first prize in a national competition. Margaret entered the competition at her local NTA depot, in New Elgin. Margaret’s name was chosen at random from the hundreds of entries received.
Andy Dingley, advertising and promotion manager for Bridgestone, commented: “Motorists are being put under pressure as the costs of running a car increase with fuel duty rising by 2p next month, along with the environmental concerns of motoring and the sheer volume of traffic on the nation’s roads, so it is no surprise that driving has lost some of its joy. We wanted to give something back to drivers at a much needed time.”
The Chinese government has welcomed a US Court of International Trade ruling that the US Department of Commerce imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Hebei Starbright Tyre Co., Ltd might result in it paying twice. According to the Xinhua news agency, the US court ruled that the Department of Commerce should either scrap the countervailing duty or amend its methodologies and procedures of levying anti-dumping measures and countervailing duty on merchandise from China within 90 days.
The news refers to the fact that, on 31 July 2007 The US Department of Commerce decided that it would launch anti-dumping and countervailing probes simultaneously into China-made off-road tyres. On 4 September 2008 it introduced a 19.15 per cent anti-dumping and a countervailing duty ranging from 2.45 per cent to 14 per cent on the Chinese produced tyres.
Kobe, Japan based Sumitomo Rubber Industries celebrates its 100th anniversary during 2009, and this red-letter year for the company has seen the inauguration of its new Tyre Technical Centre. A ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new centre – which Sumitomo says will “play a major role in heritage and creation of technologies to enable the company to continue to grow in the next hundred years – was held on September 17.
Michelin has been awarded a fleet contract with construction and land remediation company, GSE Haulage. The company believes the French tyre manufacturer can help the growth of its business with the fitment of Michelin XZE 2+ and XDY 3 tyres to its twenty Scania tippers, on a “pence per kilometre” contract. The vehicles will be operating on and off-road in the punishing environments of construction and quarry sites, meaning that mileage potential and resistance to damage – therefore reducing downtime – are the most important issues for GSE. Highlighting the importance of his tyre policy, Ricky Hemmings, Managing Director of Kent-based GSE Haulage explains: “One of the lessons we have learned with tyres is that price isn’t everything and by adopting a fleet-wide Michelin policy we have been able to radically reduce vehicle downtime.”
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