Lassa has announced the introduction of the new High Performance Impetus Revo tyre. In a like-for-like competitor comparison, the new Lassa Impetus Revo “performed well in all areas and exceptionally when compared for aquaplaning and riding comfort,” Lassa representatives told Tyres & Accessories. 27 Revo sizes will be phased in during 2008, with a furher 15 further sizes following in 2009.
Czech Republic based company Coda Development s.r.o. reports it has developed and patented a self-inflating tyre (SIT) system, which it will preview at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit between April 14 and 17. According to the company, the SIT system delivers the key benefits of eliminating tyre pressure checks and the manual inflation of tyres, along with removing the safety and fuel consumption issues linked to driving on incorrectly inflated tyres. Coda Development adds that production costs for incorporating the SIT system will “increase only marginally” in comparison with the fitment of standard tyres.
Goodyear has introduced a range of new sizes for its Duragrip offering. Due to the apparent success of DuraGrip in 2007, the range has been extended covering popular family cars such as the Golf, Focus and Astra, as well as smaller cars such as the Fiesta, Punto and Polo. Goodyear representatives explain that the DuraGrip was specifically developed to cope with the constant stop/start of city driving. Futhermore, according to the company, the fitment of DuraGrip can actually pay back the price of the tyre in fuel savings.
“The tyre has been designed to deliver improved rolling resistance – and tests certainly show this to be the case. The DuraGrip tyre offers 18 per cent less rolling resistance than its predecessor. This, in turn, delivers increased fuel economy which is becoming an increasing priority for all drivers. In fact, when you do the sums you discover that the tyre can actually pay for itself within a year!” stated Ben Crawley, Brand Manager Goodyear UK.
The new Fulda EcoControl has been declared one of ‘Which? Magazines’ Best Buy tyres, ranking in the top three in the Supermini tyre test. Which? tested the UK’s top two selling sizes of tyre – the 195/65R15V and 175/65R14T, sizes commonly fitted to strong selling vehicles such as the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Auris and Mazda 3.
Which? Magazine carried out the tyre tests to highlight that, with forward planning and product knowledge, buying tyres doesn’t have to be an emergency purchase. The publication tested the tyres in seven situations including dry braking, dry handling, wet braking, wet grip on the straight and on a bend, wear, and noise eco rating, generating an overall performance percentage. Fulda is pleased with the results its 195/65R15V tyre achieved during the test – the Fulda EcoControl’s overall score of 63 per cent was a considerable 43 per cent higher than that of the lowest performing tyre. Fulda performed well in dry braking and wet grip in corners, ranking higher than the overall test winner.
Michelin’s year long study into tyre pressure has revealed that the proportion of cars on British roads with tyres at an incorrect pressure could be as high as 80 per cent, and the pressure in the tyres of half of all cars is incorrect to an extent that renders the vehicle dangerous to operate and an accident risk.
The French manufacturer checked the tyre pressure of thousands of vehicles across 27 European Union countries during its ‘Fill up with Air’ campaign, and results indicate that the UK, ranked 25th out of 27, was near the bottom of the pile in terms of ensuring correct tyre pressure – only Greece and Latvia faired worse. And not only is road safety being jeopardised by our sloppy indifference – major cost implications follow incorrect tyre pressure through increased fuel consumption, a factor that also impacts on our environment.
Recent surveys by Kwik-Fit and Auto Express both found that around 40 per cent of tyre inflation equipment at garage forecourts around the UK was not functioning correctly at any given time; however the actual figure is potentially much higher. According to a poll conducted by TyreSafe, as many as 60 per cent of motorists were unable to check their vehicle’s tyre pressure due to out of order air lines and equipment. This staggering statistic is, says TyreSafe, a concerning picture of the sub-standard condition of the services available to motorists at the nation’s petrol forecourts.
Earlier this week, Michelin North America introduced its next generation of winter tyres with Michelin X-Ice Xi2, which promises longer tread life and improved fuel economy without compromising winter traction. The tyre was unveiled during a special media event at Mont-Tremblant in Quebec.
“With this new generation, the Michelin Xi2 tyre, is raising the bar even higher,” said Normand Latremouille, MNA’s winter category manager. “The Michelin X-Ice Xi2 lasts up to 75 per cent longer than its leading competitor. The longer wear life is in addition to maintaining other top tyre performances such as handling and traction.” MNA said it tested the new X-Ice Xi2 against the Bridgestone Blizzak WS60.
Reducing fuel consumption and pollutant emissions plays a major role in the automotive industry. In response to these demands and to increasing European demand for turbochargers, BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems has enlarged its facility in Oroszlány , Hungary.
Among the company and government officials attending the recent inauguration ceremony in the town (situated 80 km from Budapest) were Roger Wood, President and General Manager of BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems, the American Ambassador April Foley, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Géza Egyed and plant manager Kornél Schmidt. Thanks to rapid growth in the turbocharger industry and to the successful co-operation with numerous customers a new hall was built, covering an area of 4650 m2. The increased total space is now 13.500 m2 and 600 people are currently employed.
All tyres on the market today include a fossil fuel component, and numerous attempts have been made to minimise the use of such non-renewable resources. In March Sumitomo Rubber releases its Enasave 97 tyre, in which the use of fossil fuels is limited to 3 per cent – a major advance on previous attempts. However for Sumitomo Rubber a 97 per cent renewable ingredient content is not enough. On February 14 company president Tetsuji Mino unveiled Sumitomo’s vision of and work towards a 100 per cent natural resources.
“Relying on 3 per cent fossil fuels is a major hurdle,” Mino said. “I don’t think we can make it in one or two years, but I’m determined to put the tyre on the market even if it takes five to ten years.” The residual 3 per cent in the Enasave 97 is required for the antioxidant and the rubber accelerator used in the vulcanisation process, and previous attempts to eliminate it have drawn a blank. According to senior executive officer Takaki Nakano, “With the current technology, they cannot be replaced by natural resources.”
Shares in Japanese synthetic rubber manufacturer Zeon Corp have experienced the largest fall in more than a decade after the company slashed its profit forecast; this decision was taken ahead of expected profits at its elastomer business falling below those previously anticipated. The stock dropped 82 yen (£0.39), or 15 per cent, to 461 yen (£2.21) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the largest single decrease the company has experienced since December 22, 1997.
(Burlington (VT) Free Press) Rep. Jon Anderson, D-Montpelier, wants to put a 50-cent fee on each new tyre sold in Vermont to raise about $300,000 to help Green-Up Day volunteers and solid waste districts cover costs associated with illegally dumped tyres.
“I don’t want to overstate the tyre problem,” Anderson said. “It’s 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the tyres sold, but that is still 6,000 to 12,000 tyres.”
His plan isn’t popular with tyre and auto dealers, who lined up to testify before the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee this week. They downplayed the problem Anderson is trying to solve and emphasised the detrimental impact on business of another government fee.
With all eyes on green issues at the moment, Beru f1Systems is pointing out that tyres are the second or third largest expense for most truck fleet operators. Tests by tyre manufacturers have shown that under-inflation by 15 per cent reduces fuel economy by 2.5 per cent. Incorrectly inflated tyres also wear faster and are more prone to premature failure. That’s where BERU f1systems’ new Truck Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
The new system has been engineered specifically for the challenges of tyre pressure monitoring on large, multi-wheeled vehicles operating in fast-moving logistics environments. It is capable of automatically detecting trailer changes, and re-calibrating itself to keep the driver informed.
Par Logistics Management Systems, a subsidiary of Par Technology, along with Advantage PressurePro LLC, have announced the introduction of what has been called first real time tyre pressure management system for the transportation industry. For the first time trailer managers can be given real time information on trailer location, temperature, fuel levels and door activity while also receiving critical alerts on reefer failures, rapid fuel loss and now, insufficient tyre pressure. Automated alerts can be sent via e-mail or text message.
“We are proud to be integrating our technology with that of Par’s,” commented Phillip Zaroor, president and CEO of PressurePro. “PressurePro continues to be committed to bringing the best possible TPM Solutions to the market, with the latest in cutting edge technologies. This partnership allows us to do just that, bringing to the market a genuinely complete solution.”
TireStamp Corporation has released a wireless tyre pressure monitoring system aimed specifically at trailer tyres. According to TireStamp trailer tyres comprise 75 per cent of enroute tyre failures which are caused by chronic underinflation and penetrating objects. This impacts fleets not only in their tyre budgets as trailers in single trailer configurations account for 45 per cent of the tractor-trailer’s fuel consumption, and 65 per cent in a doubles configurations, according to the company.
For the first time, TyreSafe is mounting a tyre safety campaign throughout the month of March to highlight the dangers of defective or badly worn tyres on motorcycles and scooters. TyreSafe has already received support for its initiative from BikeSafe, the UK police force road safety campaign, which will culminate in a major bike safety show to be held at the police training centre in Hendon, North London, during the last week of March. TyreSafe is also hoping to gain support for the campaign from trade associations within the motorcycle industry.
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