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Volkswagen 1st European OEM Supplied by Hankook Hungary

Volkswagen has become the recipient of Hankook’s first-ever OE delivery to a European vehicle manufacturer from its Dunaujvaros factory. The supply of Hungarian produced tyres to Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge in Hanover, Germany is taking place under an agreement to fit the Hankook product as original equipment on Volkswagen’s Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan and California van models.

Europe’s largest automobile manufacturer is kitting out the fifth generation of its “T5” van family with the size 215/65 R16C version of Hankook’s new Radial RA 28. Hankook describes the tyre to be fitted as a “specially balanced tyre perfectly suited to the variety of uses of such vehicles”, and notes it is exclusively supplied to Volkswagen in Germany.

8th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

UK Restaurants Now Included in Michelin Guide for iPhone

Admit it – you just can’t get by without your mobile phone. When it’s not glued to your ear you are busy prodding the thing with your texting thumb or downloading the latest must-read e-mails. And now, thanks to Michelin, the mobile can also offer sterling service should you wish to whet your appetite. Following the successful introduction of its ‘Michelin guide Restaurants’ iPhone applications for France and selected other European locations, the company has extended its offering to the UK and three other European countries plus two US cities.

Developed by ViaMichelin, the applications list all restaurants selected by the Michelin guide, including starred restaurants and Bib Gourmand eateries offering excellent value for money. The European titles, which cover the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, are available in five languages (French, English, German, Spanish and Italian) while the stateside titles, covering New York and San Francisco, are available only in English.

6th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New Replacement Truck Tyre Head in Michelin’s German Markets

As of July 1, 2009 Michelin’s commercial vehicle tyre replacement market business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will have a new man at the helm. Rainer Harter will replace Thomas Nagel in the position, and will report to Dieter von Aspern, Michelin’s replacement tyre business marketing director in the three countries. Nagel will lead the company’s electric mobility project under the responsibility of Dieter Freitag, director of Michelin Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

6th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyres Receive ‘Full Medical’ with New Conti Scanner

Continental is employing a new CT scanner to further improve the testing of prototype tyres. This new piece of equipment is being set up at the company’s research and development centre in Hanover, Germany. According to Conti, the CT scanner greatly reduces the time needed to screen a tyre and enhances the quality of images taken during the process. Individual components of a tyre’s construction can be displayed separately enabling, for example, tests for wear in individual parts of the casing to be undertaken. Around 3,000 tyres are to undergo the testing process annually.

28th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Euro-Spec Nissan GT-R Rolls Into UK on Dunlop SP Sport

The first batch of European spec Nissan GT-Rs have arrived in the UK, and the specification list for the Japanese sport coupe is very impressive indeed. In its European guise the GT-R has had its 588 Nm-rated 3.8 litre V6 twin-turbo engine tweaked to deliver 485 horsepower, and this is complemented by a paddle shift six-speed dual clutch transmission and all wheel drive. Despite a top speed of 193 mph, however, the Nissan is not just about performance – every GT-R is delivered with Bluetooth connectivity, touch screen satellite navigation, climate control, leather trim and Bose sound system.

20th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MPs Back Scrappage Scheme

A cross party group of 25 MPs has written to Business Secretary, Peter Mandelson, asking for immediate action to support the vehicle component industry, including a car scrappage scheme like the systems that have been successfully running in Germany and France. According to the department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the component industry employs some 100,000 people who now face a bleak future because of the economic downturn. However, the group of MPs suggest that targeted measures could help turn the situation around.

The highest profile suggestion is for an “appropriately structured scrappage scheme” subsidising the replacement of old cars in favour of newer more environmentally friendly models. However, the MPs all back support for car finance to stimulate the demand side; improving access to credit and liquidity; and sharing the burden of continuing to employ staff between employees, employers and the government.

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Watts Now Owns Profix GmbH

Watts Industrie Reifen, the German subsidiary of Watts Tyre Group has announced the acquisition of Profix GmbH at the end of March. Current Profix director Volker Scholze will join Watts Industrie Reifen and manage operations from the tyre service and distribution business’s Zittau office. Profix manager Udo Rottke will also join Watts as tyre services manager responsible for the mobile fitting service across the country.

14th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Schmitz Cargobull Predicts 85% Sales Drop, Announces Layoffs

Schmitz Cargobull, Germany’s largest manufacturer of trailers for HGVs, plans to eliminate one-eighth of its workforce. It was announced on April 8 that around 500 of the company’s 4,000 employees will lose their positions. The company stated it plans to take a number of social factors into consideration when selecting the positions to be eliminated. In addition, all 350 temporary contract positions with the company will not be renewed.

8th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Klarius Invests £1.2 million in UK Manufacturing

Klarius Group, the exhaust manufacturer, reports that it is currently enjoying success despite the challenging market having invested £1.2 million in its UK manufacturing and R&D facilities over the last 18 months. According to the company, the investment has gone into moving production arrangements over to lean manufacturing, fast track product development for exhausts and catalytic converters and in-house logistics facilities.

The Klarius Group was formed in August 2007 following the acquisition of the Emissions Control activities of ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Aftermarket Europe. In its final year of trading prior to the acquisition (2006/2007), the Emissions Control division registered a £7 million operating loss. However, since the Klarius takeover this has been turned around, as evidenced by the Group’s first set of accounts which reveal that Klarius moved into profit well within its first full year of trading. Favourable euro exchange rates have also combined with a strong international sales approach to secure new supply agreements and install new distribution facilities and warehousing across Europe.

8th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

T&A Interviews Cooper European Technical Centre Head

Cooper Tire has launched a new ultra-high performance tyre which, the company claims, offers all the performance of the Zeon range, but with the addition of much improved tread life. The new Cooper Zeon CS6 replaces the Cooper Zeon XTC’s V and W-rated sizes. The product’s enhanced tyre tread life is achieved by virtue of a new silica compound which, thanks to computer-aided design technology, offers enhanced grip in wet weather braking and handling situations. However, arguably the greatest claim the company is making about the CS6 is the suggestion that the new tyre offers up to 12 per cent longer tread wear than the XTC.

What’s more, the new tyre has hit the road courtesy of development work at Cooper’s European Technical Centre. Tyres & Accessories recently visited the ETC, which is based on the company’s Melksham tyre production site, and discussed the CS6 and evolution in the company’s tyre development strategy with tech-centre head Marcus Hancock.

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Withdraws From Shanghai Motor Show

The Michelin Group has withdrawn from April’s Auto Shanghai 2009 motor show, reports Chinese news outlet Sina Corporation. The company has attended the show during the past decade and maintained a significant presence there. A member of Michelin’s public relations team stated that the company will cut back on its exhibition presence this year. “The whole industry is in difficulty and we also have to do some adjustment and scale-down,” the representative explained. Michelin is, however, still scheduled to attend the IAA show in Frankfurt, Germany, in September.

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Brings forward P7 Cinturato Launch

Pirelli has launched a new version of its P7 tyre – the P7 Cinturato. In addition to offering the kind of high performance edge characteristic of the Pirelli brand, the new tyre features a 20 per cent reduction in rolling resistance which, according to company figures, results in a 4 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. Pirelli’s decision to offer a high performance eco-tyre is immaculately timed as it follows the first reading publication of new EU laws raising the bar in terms of rolling resistance, noise pollution and wet-braking performance – all areas that Pirelli’s R&D department have improved upon the standard product in the development of the P7 Cinturato.

The launch of the new tyre, which was originally scheduled for 2010, was brought forward a year in light of the new regulations and following unprecedented drops in tyre sales at the end of 2008 and through the first quarter of 2009. With this in mind the launch can also be seen as a kind or proactive market impetus – offering tyre customers and end-consumers a something of high quality and performance that also offers potential fuel savings and ecological benefits. Green tyres are not new, but till now they have largely been combined to smaller cars and have reportedly conceded performance for fuel economy. Pirelli officially presented the Cinturato P7 at the Nardò International Test Track on 3 April.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Takes on British Formula 3 from Avon

This Easter the British Formula 3 season will begin with a new tyre supplier and title sponsor as the country’s premier single-seater racing championship becomes known as the Cooper Tires British F3 International Series. One of the world’s most successful championships for aspiring Formula 1 drivers, stars including Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton all raced in the series on their way to the top of the sport. And after 27 years of racing exclusively on Avon Tyres, this year’s supply will switch to Cooper Tire – a brand that has a well established reputation in US motorsport.

3rd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

European Car Sales Point to Success of Scrappage Schemes

A number of European car markets are fairing better on the back of cash incentives given for the scrapping of old vehicles when purchasing a new one. Governments in Germany, France, Italy and Spain are offering have already commenced such programmes, and the results so far are positive: In Germany, more than 848,000 people have signed up for the country’s “Abwrackprämie”, or scrapping premium with February car sales increasing 21 per cent, and in March French car registrations rose 8.1 per cent year-on-year to 204,095.

2nd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Rolf Koerfer Elected Chairman of Conti Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of Continental AG has unanimously elected Rolf Koerfer its new chairman at its March 27 extraordinary meeting in Hanover, Germany. The 51-year-old thus succeeds Dr. Hubertus von Grünberg, who resigned on March 6.

30th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors