Cement producer Cemex’s use of tyres as a substitute fuel, as previous reported by Tyres & Accessories, has run into opposition from what has been described as a local pressure group. The group, which calls itself Rugby in Plume, is planning on submitting a petition to the House of Lords for a judicial review of the decision to grant Cemex a permit to burn tyres as fuel.
The Environment Agency has given cement producer Cemex permission to use as a substitute fuel at its Rugby plant. This decision comes following a trial rigorously controlled and monitored by the Environment Agency.
According to the Environment Agency’s area environment manager, Ian Withers, the agency is satisfied with the trial’s results. “We have studied the report and the results of the tyre trial in great detail before coming to this decision,” he said. “We are satisfied that Cemex has met the requirements of its Permit and can now burn tyres in accordance with the conditions in the Permit.
The Yokohama Tire Corporation is releasing a new tyre into its Z.environment range at February’s annual Technology & Maintenance Council meeting in the US. The new tyre, the 703ZL, is a truck tyre promoted by Yokohama as more environmentally friendly through being longer lasting and providing greater fuel-efficiency.
We all know that the number of fitments on the market is increasing, but what will tyres – and therefore the tyre market of the future – look like? In a recent media briefing Continental market analyst Eulogio Sanz and product manager Peter Robb predicted that the 28 million-unit strong UK passenger car tyre market will split between those wanting economic and environmental performance and those who just want to go faster.
Alcoa Wheel Products have introduced a new product providing fleet operators real time data on their vehicle’s tyre pressure and tread depth. Called the InTire™ Management System, Alcoa’s new offering is a web-based system the company reports can maximise tyre life, enhance fuel economy and increase productivity in maintenance procedures. The InTire software interfaces with the vehicle-based sensing equipment wirelessly.
Optional add on equipment allows users to monitor items requiring periodic maintenance, such as fluid levels and the condition of filters.
Pirelli has been selected as the control tyre for the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship (BRC). A three-year agreement between Pirelli Tyres and the BRC will lead to, in the view of the BRC, a more equal competition in which the driver’s talent and ability can be showcased during the six-round championship. The decision to switch to a single tyre supplier comes after a control fuel was successfully introduced at the start of the 2006 season.
Harpers Waste Management Solutions has adopted a managed tyre policy with ATS Euromaster at its two largest depots in York and Billingham. The agreement will see Michelin tyres fitted across 45 commercial vehicles in its fleet, marking a distinct change from the company’s previous tyre procurement policy which saw a number of different brands fitted by a range of suppliers.
Indian tyremaker Metro Tyres is planning the production of tubeless motorcycle tyres as part of a technical collaborative deal with Continental AG. The tyres will initially be manufactured principally for overseas markets, although domestic sales will follow at a later date.
Five years after the debut of its original eTire Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Michelin has begun to show off its eTire II second-generation sensor equipment. This new eTire system incorporates technology devised by UK company Transense Technologies, who granted Honeywell a licence to develop their TPMS design on behalf of the French tyre maker.
The number of motor traders failing during 2006 reached its highest point at 303 for more than a decade, an increase of 7.1 per cent compared to 2005. The industry had seen a poor start to the year with the number of business failures in the automotive industry increasing by 67.9 per cent, according to Experian. This was the second largest increase in insolvencies experienced across the 34 industries reviewed by the global information solutions company.
A New Zealand man is today some £7,500 worse off but hopefully on his way to better understanding the meaning of the word recycling after being fined for illegally stockpiling tyres in a disused quarry. Owen McDonald Douglas, sole shareholder and business manager of the Tauranga based company Tyre Disposal Ltd, had been granted resource consent for using the site in 2004, on the provision that the tyres brought into the quarry were to be scrapped and incinerated as industrial fuel. Tyre Disposal Ltd had built up a sizable client base in the local area, and regularly collected used tyres from customers that included Dunlop and national tyre chain Beaurepaires.
Michelin’s Stop Thirsty Tyres campaign, aimed at helping hauliers reduce their fuel bills through better tyre management, has beat strong competition to win the ‘Best use of creative’ award at this year’s B2B Marketing Awards. The Stop Thirsty Tyres campaign was launched in May 2005 and has been promoted industry wide through a variety of mediums.
Oxfordshire based Transense Technologies PLC has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Honeywell International Inc to extend the use of Transense’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
UK operator Elite Transport is set to carry out an extensive trial of two types of Michelin tyres on its newly delivered fleet of fifteen Volvo FH480 6×2 tractor units. This decision has been made in light of findings after a single tractor unit was fitted with Michelin Energy tyres for a period of fourteen months.
Maximising fuel economy is one of the highest priorities for drivers in the ultra-competitive super-mini racing category. With this in mind, Peugeot has given the go ahead for fitting the environmentally friendly Goodyear GT3 tyre as original equipment on their new 207.
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