EnTire Solutions, LLC has entered into an agreement with Siemens VDO Service & Special Solutions, who will market and sell EnTire Solution aftermarket tyre pressure monitoring sensors (TPMS) and service kits to service wholesalers and dealerships as a part of the Siemens VDO offering. Two EnTire Solution aftermarket TPMS and valve service kits will be sold through Siemens VDO to support current original equipment business.
EnTire Solutions LLC Inc will has been chosen to be tyre pressure monitoring (TPM) system provider for another three new vehicle models. EnTire’s TPM system will be fitted to selected models of the 2007 US market Hyundai Tiburon, Kia Amanti and Kia Spectra.
EnTire Solutions has been named as the Tyre Pressure Monitoring (TPM) supplier for Toyota’s 2007 model Sienna. The joint venture company formed by Michelin and TRW Automotive launched its first OE TPM system in 2004 on the US market Acura MDX, and currently also supplies TPM systems to Honda, Hyundai, Fiat and Kia.
Canadian TPMS specialist SmarTire Systems Inc. has announced that its revenue for the first quarter of the 2007 fiscal year has increased by 44% to $851,770 (£436,476), up from $592,866 (£303,805) in the first quarter of the 2006 fiscal year. At the same time net loss for the quarter decreased to $5.3 million (£2.7 million), or $0,02 per share, for the fiscal year’s first quarter, down from $17.8 million (£9.1 million) or $0.06 a year earlier.
Dunlop used the Great and British Motorsport Festival at Thruxton to put the latest Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyre to its toughest test in preparation for the forthcoming 2007 Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup for Production Cars. The Dunlop SP Sport Maxx road tyre was tested on two cars that are expected to grace the grids of the new production cup next year. The Hyundai Coupe V6 and Vauxhall Astra VXR Sprint were both chosen for initial tyre evaluation work as these powerful front wheel drive cars make the front tyres work extremely hard over a race distance.
The Korea Herald has reported that union workers at Kumho Tire Co. plants in South Korea have been “on a partial strike” since last week. The union workers are seeking a 9 per cent wage increase among the 52 “terms” they are demanding from the tyremaker, said the report. The partial strike is apparently part of broader job action at a number of major South Korean manufacturers, including Hyundai Motor, Ssangyong Motor, a number of oil and construction companies, and other major employers.
Matador Tyres backed rally driver Craig Middleton bounced back from his fiery exit on the RBS International Manx Rally with a superb victory on the Severn Valley National Rally this weekend. With the Hyundai Accent WRC repaired after it ignited on the Isle of Man, the 26-year-old Welshman from Llandrindod Wells took a hard earned victory in hot and sunny conditions. The win keeps Craig’s chances of winning the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship alive after a year of mixed fortune so far.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook’s Optimo H725 all-season touring tyre will be OE on the 2007 Ford Focus, Hankook Tire America Corp. announced. The tyre will be fitted in size P195/60R15. “This new Ford Focus application for our tyres is another major step forward in growing our brand position here in the U.S.,” said Bill Bainbridge, Hankook’s marketing director. “As more and more OE vehicle manufacturers select our brand with confidence, that will translate to driving more consumers to look for the Hankook brand when choosing replacement tyres.” Globally, Hankook supplies tyres to Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia, Volvo, GM and Mitsubishi, among others.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook Tire America Corp. will have OE positions on several GM vehicles, including the Chevy Cobalt, Chevy Malibu, and the Pontiac G5 and G6. Hankook’s Optimo H725A all-season touring line will be on those vehicles in sizes P205/55R16H and P225/50R17S. Hankook said it invested two years in the development of the H725A, is OE on the Saturn Ion. Hankook also supplies tires to Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia, Volvo, and Mitsubishi, among others.
Hyundai is to build a plant in the Czech Republic, investing 1 billion euros in a factory with the capacity to produce 300,000 units annually. The factory is expected to start production of the B segment Getz in the fouth quarter of 2008. The announcement follows the news that Kia’s Slovakia plant will be production later this year.
SmarTire Systems Inc has expanded its manufacturing agreement with Vansco Electronics LP. Under the agreement, Vansco will manufacture key subsystems for SmarTire’s wireless gateway family of products. SmarTire also announced the termination of its contract manufacturing agreement with Hyundai Autonet Company, Ltd (“HACO”) in Korea, which was terminated as a result of HACO’s acquisition by Hyundai.
Hayes Lemmerz Inci, Hayes Lemmerz International’s Manisa, Turkey operation, has received the 2004 Hyundai Assan Otomotiv Best Supplier Award. The award recognizes Hayes Lemmerz Inci for its quality, delivery, cost and customer service. At a special ceremony held recently in Izmit, Turkey, Hyundai Assan presented a total of three awards. Hayes Lemmerz Inci is a producer of steel wheels for the automotive industry for the international passenger car markets.
(Akron/Tire Review) All is not yet lost for Slovakia in its bid to land a new tyre plant from Hankook Tire Co. The South Korean tyre manufacturer has made a counterproposal for government aid to support its planned 500 million euro tyre plant.
Slovakia Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda reportedly met with Hankook representatives late last week at Hankook’s request. Hankook is reported to have lowered its request for state assistance by 9.79 million euros. The meeting came just two days after Slovakia’s cabinet ministers rejected an investment package that included infrastructure improvements in the area surrounding the proposed plant.
Banner Batteries has expanded its range of Power Bull batteries with products designed to cover virtually all Asian car models. This includes the following marques: Chevrolet (Daewoo), Daihatsu, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ssangyong, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.
Power Bull batteries, which incorporate Banner calcium/calcium technology, recently performed well in the Stiftung Warentest of 16 international brand batteries; the Power Bull was named winner for best service life with minimum water consumption and self discharge.
A number of news sources are reporting that Hankook Tire is considering sites in Eastern Europe for a possible new construction plant.
The Korean Maeil Business Newspaper identified Poland as one of the front-runners, for the $1 billion project. The claim that the report is supported by the company’s president, Cho Choong Hwana, adds credence to the story.
Meanwhile, the Warsaw Business Journal reports that it will take an estimated two to three years before construction of the plant is finished. The journal also suggests that Hyundai’s recent decision to open a plant in Slovakia could have been a motivating factor behind the move.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
