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Organisers Anticipate 10,000 Visitors at Shandong Province Show

A new show catering to those with an interest in Chinese produced tyres and automotive components will debut next year. Called the China (Guangrao) International Rubber Tire & Auto Accessory Exhibition, the government organised show will take place at the Gurangrao International Expo Center on 9 – 11 May 2010. The exhibition area is anticipated to be as much as 11,000 square metres and host around 300 exhibitors. The organiser predicts more than ten thousand buyers and visitors will attend over the exhibition’s three days.

28th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Australia Welcomes Government Assistance Package

Bridgestone Australia says it welcomes an October 27 announcement by South Australian Premier Mike Rann offering State and Federal Government assistance for employees affected by the closure of the company’s Salisbury factory. The state Premier outlined the package during discussions with senior Bridgestone executives, and according to Bridgestone Australia senior executive director Andrew Moffatt the assistance offered will “complement” the company’s stated commitment to its employees.

28th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone NZ Running at a Loss Since 2007

Although the announced closure of Bridgestone’s sole manufacturing facility in New Zealand has been understandably met with disappointment by the local industry, records show the tyre major has operated in the red there during the last two years. Information held by the New Zealand government’s Companies Office shows Bridgestone to have experienced a loss of NZ$7.1 million (£3.28 million) on annual revenues of $217 million (£100 million) in the 2008 calendar year. In 2007 the company’s loss amounted to $3.8 million. Indeed, Bridgestone’s bottom line has not seen plus figures in New Zealand since 2006, when its net plus came to $1.2 million.

27th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ATMA Director General: 5-6% Rise in India Tyre Consumption

With India’s auto sales back on the rise in September year-on-year comparisons, Rajiv Budhraja, director general of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, told the Press Trust of India that tyre consumption will follow “by five to six per cent in the next six to eight months”. The increase in auto sales has risen by 17.1 per cent overall in September 2009 compared with the month in 2008, while the rise was particularly felt in the passenger car segment, where that increase topped 20 per cent (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers figures).

26th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

8 Year-Old Vans Now Qualify for Scrappage Deals

The terms of the Government’s revised scrappage scheme, which includes provision for replacing vans, comes into force today (22 October). In September it was announced that an extra £100 million was proposed for the Government’s scrappage scheme bringing the total budget to £400 million and covering up to 400,000 vehicles in total. The scheme will end in February 2010 or when the funding runs out, whichever is sooner.

The key change to the policy is that van owners looking to trade in their vehicles will now be able to scrap their 8-year-old van instead of the previous 10-year requirement. Car owners must trade in vehicles registered on or before 29 Feb 2000 (V registration).

Arguably sounding like the nation’s biggest second-hand car salesman, business secretary Lord Mandelson said: “Consumers and businesses looking for a new vehicle should make the most of the scrappage scheme now…but it has to end when the funding runs out.”

22nd October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Motorist Group Helping Quebec Winter Tyre Buyers

(Tire Review) Quebec’s CAA wants to help motorists to make informed decisions on winter tyres as the season grows closer. The motorist group has developed an online reminder system for drivers, which includes winter tyre purchase pointers. “Being well informed is crucial,” said Sophie Gagnon, CAA-Quebec’s senior director of public and government relations. “This is a significant expense for drivers and a matter of safety. The reminder is designed so consumers can have a guide at their fingertips when they are making their choice. In fact, it covers the essential questions that have to be answered before the purchase.” The electronic version is available at CAA-Quebec, or in person at CAA-Quebec’s 12 service centres, 10 technical inspection centres, or nine outlets offering vehicle registration services. Quebec law requires vehicles to be equipped with winter tyres by 15 December.

20th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

WHO Identifies Australian Scrap Tyres as an Asian Health Risk

Australia’s national broadcaster has reported on World Health Organization concerns that the country’s tyre industry and its trade with South East Asia is responsible for health hazards within the region. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s current affairs programme “The World Today”, some two-thirds of the scrap tyres generated in Australia each year – a quantity equalling 250,000 tonnes – are sent to Asian countries, and the quantity shipped there has tripled in the last 18 months.

20th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Passenger Car Registrations Up in September

European passenger car registrations in September received a boost from markets with government sponsored scrappage schemes in place, particular those countries where the schemes are winding up. The whole European market rose 6.6 per cent and the Western European by 9.6 per cent during the month compared with September 2008, the largest leap since 1999. In absolute figures, however, September 2009 registrations stayed below the levels reached since 2002.

16th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Government Aid to Secure Vauxhall Jobs

The UK automotive industry gained a boost on October 13 when Lord Mandelson’s persuaded Vauxhall’s new owner to back down on redundancy plans that could have cost 5,000 workers their jobs. Magna International made a commitment to the long-term future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port and Luton plants in exchange for concessions including a two-year salary freeze. Mandelson will now commence final talks with the German Government over how much Britain will contribute to the £4.1 billion state loan the Germans have committed to back the Canadian company’s takeover of General Motors Europe.

14th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

India Drops Investigation into Chinese Tyres

The Xinhua News Agency, China’s official press service, reports the country’s Ministry of Commerce “appreciates” India’s decision to terminate a trade investigation into Chinese manufactured passenger car tyres. According to Xinhua, a statement on the ministry’s website says the decision “decision would not only help boost the steady development of bilateral trade ties, but also benefit the downstream businesses of India.”

12th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Scrappage Scheme Boosts Sales For Kia And Mazda

With sales reaching 9,772 in September, Kia Motors (UK) Ltd. has hit a new record for the brand in any European market. No Kia subsidiary or distributor in Europe has ever sold so many new cars in one month throughout the brand's history and with total sales for the year passing 34,700, the UK performance has overtaken Kia Motors Deutschland – traditionally the biggest market in Europe.

The result gives Kia a 2.66 per cent market share in the UK – and a 3.73 per cent share of the retail market in September – both new records for Kia. Kia's Picanto was the runaway leader in terms of sales, with 3,395 registered during the month. Rio was hot on its heels with 2,066 sales followed by the cee'd family at 1,592 – before the new model introduction from 1 October and Sportage at 792.

Michael Cole, managing director said: "It would be wrong to say that the Government's scrappage scheme hasn't helped us and in particular Picanto has proved very popular amongst those trading in 10 year old cars. But our September performance and our year-to-date result cannot be attributed to scrappage alone.

6th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Ends Talks With MAG Over Clairoix Plant

Talks between Continental AG and MAG, a Dubai-based potential buyer of the company’s tyre technology and passenger/light truck tyre manufacturing facility in Clairoix, France, have ended. According to Continental, the talks “mutually ceased” with no agreement reached. The parties held intensive discussions, but finally concluded that it was not possible to reach common ground on pursuing further negotiations.

“We would have liked to have become involved in the tyre manufacturing business as an extension to our value-chain activities which are strongly focused on the trade sector. Using the knowledge we have at present we shall continue to examine this approach. We specifically thank the French government for its commitment and support while we were deliberating on the matter, and we shall keep France in our minds as a key location for future business plans”, said Dr Fawaz Sabri vice chairman of MAG

Dr Bernhard Trilken, responsible for Continental`s global passenger and light truck tyre production, added: “It was not possible to enter into concrete negotiations on the basis of jointly defined framework conditions. The two parties reached the same conclusion and, at that point, agreed to terminate the sales talks.”

6th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

European Parliament Rolls Out New Labelling Deal

In three years all new tyres on sale in Europe will be classified and labelled for fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise performance. Yesterday (Thursday 1 October) European Parliament Industry Committee and Council negotiators reached a political agreement on a labelling system similar to that used for household appliances. However, lobby group Transport & Environment said the revised text would effectively turn the scheme into a voluntary programme, with “no clear rules on how or where the labels should be displayed.”

Like the European energy label we have come to expect on our new fridges and washing machines, the tyre label will use classes ranging from best-performance (green “A” class) to worst (red “G” class). Besides indicating how much the tyre affects the car's fuel efficiency, it will also give information about its performance in wet conditions and its external rolling noise in decibels.

The revised text for what is known as regulation 316 addresses earlier concerns from inside the tyre trade about the practical application of tyre labelling. MEPs acknowledged that, unlike household appliances, tyres are not always on display in shops. As a result they “insisted” that retailers be “obliged to show the label to the buyer before the sale and also on, or with, bills.”

2nd October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Auto Bild Impressed with Hankook Tyre Test Winner

Hankook’s Optimo 4S was named the champion of Auto Bild’s major All-Season Tyre Test, with testers noting the tyre’s “absolutely impressive all-round talent.” The all-weather specialist was named the overall winner, having taken first place in five individual categories, and won the label of “Exemplary” over the rest of the competition. Like last year, the Auto Bild editorial desk confirmed that the Optimo 4S delivers peak performance in categories including braking, traction on wet surfaces and hydroplaning. The tyre also received special praise for having the lowest rolling resistance in the test, beating all of its competitors. The company was keen to stress this aspect of the test most in its press release after the award, saying that, in the vehicle segment tested – exemplified by the Ford Fiesta –fitment of its tyres could lead to average savings of more than 50 litres of fuel and 120 kg of CO2 over the life of the tyre.

29th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

KPMG Welcomes “Steady Injection of Government Support”

Following business secretary, Peter Mandelson’s announcement that the UK government will be extending its car scrappage scheme to February 2010, as well as including van owners in those eligible for scrappage discounts, the auto director at ‘Big Four’ professional services firm, KPMG has said that he welcomes the government’s support for the industry:

29th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors