Founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Akron, Ohio. It is one of the oldest, biggest and best-known tyremakers in the world. Goodyear makes tyres for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, racing cars, aeroplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery. Find all the news and analysis you need relating to Goodyear here.
Goodyear and Dunlop are celebrating taking first and second place in the 2015 Auto Express winter tyre test, details of which were released this week. Auto Express tested eight premium tyre brands in 225/45 R17 at Nokian’s ‘White Hell’ proving ground in Ivalo, northern Finland. There were 14 intensive tests on snow, wet and dry as well as noise and rolling resistance.
In answer to questions from Tyres & Accessories, Chinese manufacturer Triangle has verified that it is in a “long-term cooperation” with Goodyear, confirming earlier suggestions of business connections between the two companies.
Krone has become the first trailer manufacturer to offer Goodyear’s latest winter commercial vehicle tyres as original equipment. Krone has approved the Goodyear Ultra Grip Max T in sizes 385/65R22.5 and 385/55R22.5 for trailers destined for severe winter operations.
Goodyear Dunlop UK has confirmed the closure of its Wolverhampton retreading plant. Closure will happen on a phased basis. The first roles to be made redundant are likely to occur on 31 December 2015, with anticipated production at the plant ending no earlier than January 2017. “It is important to understand that no alternatives to the company’s proposal have been made”, company representatives wrote in a statement.
DAF has become the first truck manufacturer to approve Goodyear’s Ultra Grip Max winter truck tyres as factory-fit options. Operators ordering new DAF trucks built from week 41 onwards can now specify Goodyear Ultra Grip Max S steer tyres and Ultra Grip Max D drive tyres in sizes 315/70R22.5 and 315/80R22.5.
The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company has officially announced that it has dissolved its global alliance with Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd – following talks and then then the terms and conditions outlined by Goodyear on 4 June 2015.
Some industry observers assumed that the CrossClimate, the Michelin summer tyre certified for winter use, would blow away the competition in this year’s spate of all-season tyre tests. However results from the Auto Bild test published last week (issue 39/2015) show this not to be the case – a new tyre from former all-season segment top dog Goodyear dominated the results.
It’s already gained the attention of Auto Express’s tyre testers, been rated “exemplary” and taken top honours in this month’s Auto Bild test of ten all-season tyres, and gained approval as original equipment on Audi, Ford, Vauxhall/Opel and Renault models. Therefore it’s high time that we report the launch of the second generation Goodyear Vector 4Seasons.
After reporting the approval of its Vector 4Seasons as original equipment for the new Renault Kadjar, Goodyear has given word of further OEM homologations for its all-season tyre. The Vector 4Seasons is also being supplied to Audi for fitment on the A1, to Ford as an original equipment tyre for the Fiesta, Focus and Focus C-Max, and to Vauxhall/Opel for the Adam and Corsa.
The Goodyear Vector 4Seasons has been named an original equipment fitment for Renault’s new mid-size SUV. Those wishing to have their Kadjar roll on all-season rubber will receive the Goodyear tyre in 215/60R17 96H.
Krone has become the first trailer manufacturer to offer Goodyear’s latest winter trailer tyre as original equipment. It has approved the Goodyear Ultra Grip Max T in sizes 385/65R22.5 160 K 158 L and 385/55R22.5 160 K 158 L for trailers destined for severe winter operations.
Goodyear reports its selection as exclusive tyre partner to the MAN ProfiDrive driver training programme. As such, all 25 tractor units and trailers used at the main MAN ProfiDrive facility in Germany will be changed over to Goodyear tyres – they will be fitted with FuelMax and KMax tyres along with Omnitrac II mixed-service range. Going forwards, new vehicles entering the MAN ProfiDrive fleet will be fitted from new with Goodyear tyres. Goodyear will take over all tyre service duties and also provide ProfiDrive trainers with tyre training.
In its annual winter tyre performance survey, German motoring publication AutoBild narrows a wide field of 49 winter tyres and two all-season tyres with wet and snow braking measurements before conducting a full test of a range of characteristics. 19 tyres made it through to the 2015/16 season test, conducted using the tyre size 185/60 R15.
Following yesterday’s announcement that Goodyear is investing 44 million euros to upgrade manufacturing at its Uitenhage, South Africa factory, the firm has offered further clarification about a second proposal to relocate “Medium Radial Truck” (MRT) tyres to other plants across the company’s Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
Boris Stevanovic, marketing director for commercial vehicle tyres at Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe (EMEA) until the end of last year, has taken on a new role in his home country. On 1 September he began as director of Goodyear Dunlop Tires France’s Commercial product business unit. Day-to-day, Stevanovic will report to Jan-Piet Huylebroeck, sales director truck tyres at Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa.
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