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Winter-Workshop 2000 With Michelin

At the end of November Michelin invited motor journalists to a so-called “Winter Workshop” at the “Arctic Driving Centre” near Rovaniemi (Finland). The main topic of the event was of course the capabilities of winter tyres. Despite the very mild climate at the end of last year the tyre industry expects that with 18.4 million winter tyres, sales will reach a new record this season in Germany: Based on this Michelin says that customers will spend some three million DM for new tyres and service. As well as such basic market data, the Winter Workshop gave those present the chance to check out the advantages of modern winter tyres. To illustrate this the tyre manufacturer had prepared four different sections, focusing on influences on winter performance such as the tread depth, the age of the tyre and the tyre speed index and dimension. All in all, 24 combinations were tested and more than 50 journalists driving the test cars led to a great number of – sometimes astonishing – results, and the data allowed the establishment of average values for each section. Michelin says that the results of the workshop will have a bearing on future developments and the criteria for choosing the right tyre. Learn more about this in the January edition of NEUE REIFENZEITUNG.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

New Danish point S Members

Danish group Dek Ringen, with 31 members and 35 outlets, has joined the European point S network. The cooperation already had 700 outlets in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands. The European Tyre Coordination Committee (ETC) coordinates all activities of point S members across Europe.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Second Plant For Ringtread System

There are a lot of patents, some first registered in the 60s, concerning retreading using a ring system. Most of the patents belong to Marangoni, the majority shareholder of Ellerbrock. But the new tyre manufacturers were also thinking about the idea of a ring. There were also developments by Goodyear very similar to the Marangoni system, so that it came to a legal settlement. But this was long ago and ancient history – now Goodyear offers its own ring called “Uni-Circle”. Until now only one plant has existed in Europe where these rings are produced: in the Marangoni factory in Frosinone (Italy) so you don’t need to be a detective to understand that the Goodyear source of Uni-Circle is the Marangoni plant. Now Ellerbrock has also begun production of the tread in form of a ring, also called Ringtread system. Ellerbrock will be responsible for the markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark. Other countries may be added later, because Ellerbrock will produce the modern tread patterns popular in central Europe. Capacity of the new facility will be 300 rings per day. One benefit of the rings in comparison with traditional flat tread patterns for retreading is the higher flexibility in production: charges of twenty rings are no problems in the new plant. But there are also benefits for the retreaders: they can save material, time, and because the process is totally automated, mistakes in production caused by human error – which might lead to splice separations – are nearly impossible. And the ring looks exactly like a new tyre. The target of Ellerbrock with the Ringtread system is not to change from traditional truck tyre retreading but to find new customers.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Price Increases In German Market For Continental Tyres

Continental has announced that the prices of its passenger, van and 4×4 tyres sold in Germany will go up by four per cent from 1st August. Higher costs of raw materials are being blamed for the increase, particularly the price of synthetic rubber and carbon black. The price hike does not apply to markets outside Germany.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Sale Rumours Denied By National

TYRES & ACCESSORIES, on hearing stories of a Continental sale of National Tyres and Autocare decided to put the question to National. In response to enquiries about the possible sale by Continental, Roger Hawkins, Managing Director of National’s Retail division told TYRES & ACCESSORIES, “Continental has no immediate plans to sell National Tyres, rather it has invested a considerable amount into the fast-fit chain in the past 18 months on branch refurbishment and acquisition of “High Street” locations and will soon be unveiling an ambitious new fleet programme.” National Tyres and Autocare is a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental AG and reports to Continental AG in Germany. If the Equity were to be sold off it would send shock-waves through the UK retail and wholesale trade.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

EMT Runflat Tyres By Goodyear Are #1 Worldwide

Goodyear, supplying nearly 50 original equipment runflat tyre fitments to eight manufacturers, is the world leader in runflat tyres. The latest EMT (Extended Mobility Technology) fitment is on the Mini, a new product from the BMW Group which will have the Goodyear Eagle NCT5 EMT runflat tyres as an option. The company has runflat manufacturing capability in Fulda, Germany, and at plants in the USA.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

New Boss For Pirelli Germany

After only one year, Dr. Paolo Masera (59), boss of Pirelli Germany, has left the company to take over responsibility for Pirelli in Brazil. His successor is Dr. Klaus Betka, up till now production chief. Betka should only be regarded as a short-term solution for two or three years, as it is said that he has already signed a contract for early retirement.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Grand Prix Planned For Moscow

At a press conference, Formula one boss Bernie Ecclestone confirmed that Moscow will host a Formula One Grand Prix event, probably in 2003. A new circuit is being built on a site south of the city, at an estimated cost of 112.7 m Euro. No new race will be added to the F1 calendar, so Moscow will replace an existing event. Both Italy and Germany currently stage two races, so one of these is favourite to be dropped, although a possible ban on tobacco advertising at the race in Belgium may make that event unattractive to sponsors, and thus vulnerable.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

ECE-Regulations Still Under Discussion

In Germany, there exists a handful of proving laboratories examining tyres according to the ECE regulations, and most clients are retreaders. In February one of these laboratories, the Prüflabor Nord (PN, Bad Bramstedt), held an “Open Day”. “Day of Open Doors”. Proving authority for the retreading facilities in Germany is the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), which, up till now has evaluated 35 truck tyre and eight car tyre retreading facilities in conformity with ECE-R109 and ECE-R108. The proving process is not obligatory but on a voluntary basis. It might be another two years before the regulations become mandatory. The discussion of retreading experts with responsible persons from KBA and PN has shown that a lot of questions, which have been answered up till now through the actual ECE wording show it to be inadequate or bad. The planned ECE regulations need modifications very urgently, otherwise the whole retreading business is threatened. The rules are so vague that they constitute an open invitation to the “black sheep” of the retreading business to bring the whole industry into disrepute.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

German Car Registrations Prognosis Revised

The German car industry will this year, for the fourth time, produce more than five million cars, announced the association of the car industry in Stuttgart. The losers in terms of car sales are expected to be the importers. For the year as a whole. it is estimated that there will be 3.33 million new car registrations in Germany – about 50,000 fewer than the previous year. Exports are expected to reach a new record.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Ultra High Performance Tyres

Ultra High Performance Tyres (uhp) are not only for super sports cars nor high performance marques, but also for the top models of volume car makers. They are the biggest customers of the European uhp tyre manufacturers nowadays. From the middle of the decade, uhp OE sales begin to slacken, but aftermarket sales continue to grow. At the moment the OE sector accounts for the majority of uhp tyre sales, but this will turn around in a couple of years. Nowadays, 16″ tyres are usually the smallest in the uhp market; 17″ and 18″ increase, 19″ and 20″ are still comparatively rare. 55 and 50 series aspect ratios are the usual sizes, but tyres as low as 30 series can be fitted. Looking ahead, the V speed rating looks set to explode. In W/Y/Z speed ratings, the premium tyre manufacturers dominate, but for V-rated tyres, the not-so-well-known brands can get a slice of the cake. In 1999, sales of V, W, Y and Z-rated tyres in Western Europe were in excess of 20 million units and by 2005, this will be doubled. In volume terms, Germany will be the biggest market – even today, one in three uhp tyres sold in Europe is bought by a German. But Germany is the leader only on numbers sold; when it comes to uhp tyres as a percentage of the tyre market as a whole, last year this sector accounted for 30% of the German market. The leader in percentage terms was Switzerland, with 38%.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

A Question Of Grip: The Conti Winter-Roadshow 2001

Time has come for German car drivers to renew their acquaintance with the cold season. Using their annual country-wide winter roadshows, Continental’s experts are explaining the aim and object of winter tyres with their better grip on low temperature roads. Because of a special compound – in contrast to summer tyres –they are made as flexible as possible for road temperatures below seven degrees, in order to produce enough grip when starting, braking or cornering. This flexibility ensures the necessary traction of the tread on asphalt, snow and ice. There are more and more car drivers who realise that adapting to winter tyres has more advantages than merely better grip; a view which is supported by constantly rising sales figures over recent years. Whereas in 1997 30 million of these winter specialists were sold all over Europe, demand rose to 37 million last year. In some European countries even more winter than summer tyres have been sold so far. Thus, last year’s winter tyre market share was about 40% in Germany, 59% in Austria, 57% in Switzerland and 61% in Sweden. About 16 million winter tyres were sold in Germany alone last year. The reason for this demand is the increasing number of new cars with their more powerful engine performance. The trend towards higher performance cars causes the consumer to order winter tyres designed for speeds over 190 km/h. Another reason: car drivers want fun when driving even in the winter, as long as road and weather conditions are appropriate. If possible, they choose tyres of the same size and speed rating as their summer tyres. Also, research by Continental reveals that fun-driving in winter need not be more expensive. Winter tyres will cost about 0,20 Euro each day in use.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Worries Over German Winter Tyre Sales

The tyre industry in Germany will not be able to attain its goal of sales of 18 million winter tyres, although sales of 16.5 million are possible. Signals coming from dealers reveal another worry, as it seems likely that, of the 16.5 million tyres delivered, 4 million will remain unsold to end users.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

First Stop – 100 Partners Have Joined Since Its Foundation Two Years Ago

Barely two years ago, Bridgestone/Firestone Deutschland GmbH introduced the First Stop System to the German market with the intention of inviting tyre dealers to join this new form of cooperation. Since then, 100 dealers have already joined this system in Germany. And with more than 1,000 partners all over Europe, the system has spread across 16 countries, so far. In Germany, Prignitzer Falas GmbH in Pritzwalk (Brandenburg) is First Stop partner N° 100. With 24 employees serving customers’ needs, this shop is not only successful in selling tyres, but it also deals with passenger cars, agricultural and industrial machinery, as well as selling and renting trailers. Moreover, a driving school is also included. Passenger cars, trucks and tractors each contribute one third of the turnover. This company has been a Bridgestone/Firestone customer since 1993. The First Stop idea is very simple: enhancing their line by the house brand “First Stop”, Bridgestone/Firestone grants exclusive selling rights for this economically-priced tyre to its partners. Thus, both the summer tyre “FST 2000” and the winter tyre “First Stop Winter” were born. Furthermore, the First Stop package also includes a uniform image and individual training programmes, covering technical and business know-how. Dealers who opt for cooperation will be furnished with substantial marketing support, which covers the complete advertising and POS segment, as well as training programmes. As their commitment to the tyre manufacturer, First Stop partners promise to always use up-to-date equipment to cope with the latest tyre technology, to join training programmes regularly and to always offer a proficient and friendly complete service for customers.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Alloy Wheel Report, Part One: Aftermarket Under Pressure

Following an old tradition, we take a close look at the alloy wheel business in the March and April issues of NEUE REIFENZEITUNG. The only thing that has changed is the order in which we intend to do this. Usually the first part of the analysis is concerned with the original equipment sector, which is followed by the replacement sector. This year we will look at it the other way round and begin with the aftermarket business in Germany. While the German aftermarket for alloy wheels has been flat for some years – although at a high level – the OE-suppliers have registered a significant growth in their figures. Competitors of the aftermarket sector observe negative trends, pessimistic voices are dominating the discussion. The growth of some happens at the expense of other companies who are not able to face the intensified competition. In the end there will be tremendous competition, fought with price as the weapon; a process which already started some time ago. In the first part of the alloy wheel report, these topics will be discussed, as will be the chances that still exist in this market. In addition, actual trends and developments of the sector will be described.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors