In remarks before the 28th Conference on Tire Science and Technology, Goodyear chairman and CEO Robert J. Keegan told attendees that a commitment to rapid innovation, aimed at addressing specific consumer needs, provides a significant “competitive advantage.” Furthermore, in today’s fast paced and economically challenging environment, such a commitment is “critical to a company’s very survival.”
Bridgestone has released the latest product in its Ecopia range of environmentally friendlier tyres. The Ecopia EP150 was released at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany, and the manufacturer notes the new tyre meets the “challenging and previously contradictory objective” of combining safety in wet conditions with reduced rolling resistance.
Nokian has introduced new sizes of two "green" high performance winter tyres, which the company says are its safest yet – the WR G2 and, for SUVs, the W RG2 SUV. The WR G2, says Nokian, is particularly effective against "slush-planing" and aquaplaning and offers a shorter braking distance in the wet as well as improved snow grip. Its eco credentials include reduced fuel consumption, thanks to the tyre's reduced rolling resistance, plus it has a longer tread life. Three new 15" and 16" sizes have been added to the WR G2 range, which now comprises 67 sizes for rims from 14" to 20" and speed ratings from T to W.
The police are always the first port of call for those in need of help securing personal safety, but they can only come to the aid of the needy if they themselves have taken the proper precautions. One of the prerequisites for road safety is a tyre up to the job of keeping the car where it should be – even when higher demands than your average drive are made of it. That is why Goodyear, in the run up to October’s tyre safety month, is talking about the fitment of its new tyre, the EfficientGrip to Bedfordshire police, Hertfordshire police and Thames Valley’s police fleet vehicles.
With an ever-growing awareness of the ecological climate, as well as a new precedent currently being set for economical measures introduced specifically for levies on manufacturers of tyres in the Far East, those wishing to import tyres to Europe and the USA need show an awareness of current regulations governing the properties of their products. This has not passed Federal Corporation by: “In an effort to contribute to the conservation of the environment and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to a safer and greener society,” Federal announces it is “to phase out use of the PAH rich extender oils by shifting all categories of tire segments to HA oil free tires following the REACH regulations.” The implementation of the environmental initiative, the company continues, is in compliance with EU directives concerning the tyre industry and is clearly designed to show how the Far East is by no means standing still when it comes to the use of new technologies to meet EU regulations.
Ceat Ltd. in partnership with Total Lubricants, has organised an “interactive knowledge platform” called Ceat Pro in Nagpur, India. The idea is to give customers access to best practice ideas to help them their businesses and reduce operation costs.
According to the company, Ceat Pro is intended to be a common platform for sharing information and resources. Panellists at the event spoke on fuel economy, trends in the India lubricant market, the use of telematics to increase fleet efficiency, and crucially tyre radialization and the future of tyres in India.
Pirelli is promoting its ecological and performance credentials at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where its tyres are paired up with some of the leading lights in high-performance automotive engineering. The company has also stated that Dekra and TÜV tests have “confirm[ed] the success of Pirelli’s commitment to Green Performance, that is to say the reduction of consumption and environmental impact, increasing at the same time performance connected with safety.”
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Euro Car Parts, an independent supplier of car parts, accessories, tools and equipment in the UK, has recently secured a distribution agreement with Klarius UK to supply the Timax range of exhaust systems, and exhaust mountings via its 60 UK branches. Klarius is one of Europe’s major manufacturers of ‘type approved’ aftermarket exhaust systems and its current catalogue lists over 5,500 part numbers. The company’s products are compatible with 97 per cent of the UK car parc.
Hauliers, fleet operators and private motorists are being reminded that not only can they stay safe on the road but they can also reduce the impact of the recent fuel duty rise by keeping their tyres correctly inflated. According to research carried out by a major tyre manufacturer and member of TyreSafe, driving on tyres which are just ten psi under the vehicle manufacturer's recommended pressure can increase fuel consumption by 2.5 per cent. By keeping tyres at their correct pressures, motorists can travel further on each tank of fuel, reduce their CO2 emissions and stay safer.
Michelin North America said its new Michelin LTX M/S2 tire for light trucks and SUVs offers significant improvements in safety, longevity and fuel efficiency compared to its predecessor, the LTX M/S.
With a strong focus in its corporate communications on providing more fuel efficient tyres with reduced rolling resistance, Michelin clearly sees an opportunity for its premium products in the current climate by emphasising its tyres’ abilities in this area.
Alcoa’s Wheel and Transportation Products business has introduced the "CalcuLighter". Found at http://www.alcoa.com/calculighter, the CalcuLighter is an on-line tool for truck fleet and owner-operators that is designed to provide exact financial data comparing steel and aluminium wheel alternatives. Designed primarily for US based users, site visitors can quickly compare steel duals versus aluminium duals or wide base wheels, or aluminium duals compared to wide base, simply by entering a few specifics regarding their own operational needs.
Continental Tyre Group is highlighting the benefits of using its free online fuel saving calculator to lower operational costs. Continental’s fuel saving calculator is designed to compare all premium competitor products for regional and long distance applications. By entering the fleet size, the number of kilometres travelled per year, the average fuel consumption of the selected tyre brand and the fuel cost in £ per gallon, the tool calculates the annual fuel consumption with the chosen brand and the annual fuel spend.
In advance of the August Bank Holiday, TyreSafe is urging drivers to take a few minutes to check that tyres are inflated to the correct pressure to reduce the likelihood of suffering a blowout. Here are the association’s eight top tips for checking tyre pressures correctly:
Turkish bus company, HAS Turizm is claiming increased tyre life after switching to Alcoa forged wheels. The groundwork for the changeover was laid a couple of years ago after a visit from Alcoa’s Turkish distributor Otomotiv Lastikleri Tevzi AS (Oltas), who reportedly explained the benefits of Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. As a result, HAS decided to test the products themselves. “After several months, we realized that the buses, equipped with Alcoa wheels, use around 1 per cent less fuel compared to buses on steel wheels. Another advantage we discovered is the longer life time of the tyres. Today almost all of our vehicles operating in Turkey are equipped with Alcoa wheels. All new vehicles are specified on Alcoa wheels as well.”
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