Indonesia
This year Michelin is releasing no less than six new motorcycle tyre lines: The Power Super Sport, Pilot Power 3, Anakee III and Anakee Wild, plus the Pilot Street and Pilot Street Radial. The last two of these are of particular interest due to the strategic approach they represent.
Five years ago Indonesia’s leading contract mining company PT Pamapersada Nusantara (PAMA) decided to install a turn-key OTR retread facility from Rösler in Balikpapan. Now the company is celebrating half a decade since the successful completion of the project. Rösler engineered and designed the entire factory, supplied the equipment and transferred the know-how. In total over 200 tons of equipment was shipped from Germany to the island of Borneo where in February 2008 the first 27.00R49 tyre was retreaded.
A day after our coverage of European rules relating to the introduction of ABS on two-wheel vehicles. Continental AG has released details of its one channel ABS for motorcycles.
According to ADAC Accident Research, around a fifth of all motorcycle accidents could have been prevented if the bike had been fitted with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). To improve the active safety of motorcycles, Continental is expanding its range of electronic braking systems by introducing an one-channel ABS for smaller motorcycle and scooters. Based on its cars technology it was developed especially for cost-sensitive markets such as Asia, where the wheelers must be equipped only with a hydraulic brake on the front wheel.
Singapore’s Mindtrac launched its new Ultra X range of Indian-manufactured cross-ply tyres for truck and light truck applications in a 20-strong line-up. The company said it secured business at the show with customers in Singapore, Pakistan and the Philippines.
In reporting its 2012 results, Pirelli & C. SpA says it achieved “record profitability” last year thanks to its “focus on premium and efficiencies.” Net profit rose 27.4 per cent year-on-year to 398.2 million euros on the back of a 7.4 per cent increase of sales to 6.1 billion euros. EBIT rose 34.2 per cent to 780.8 million euros and the EBIT margin went up from 10.3 per cent in 2011 to 12.9 per cent last year.
Demand for used vehicles overseas is leading to cars targeted for export selling for up to twice their UK value or more at auction, say independent car information experts CAP. But the used vehicle export phenomenon is not confined to cars, with CAP's experts also reporting a constant flow of trucks, trailers, motorcycles and vans abroad as the export trade grows every day. This trade, supplying almost every continent with used British vehicles, is pushing prices ever higher in the UK and creating shortages of certain models.
On 5 March PT Gajah Tunggal Tbk held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new proving ground in Karawang, on the Indonesian island of West Java. Construction of the 65 hectare proving ground will take place in four stages, with the first stages ready in mid-2014 and the final stages the following year. The proving ground will accommodate the development of commercial vehicle, passenger car and motorcycle tyres for the domestic and international markets.
Despite a dip in the overall market last year, some analysts are predicting that global heavy and medium truck sales will increase “moderately” in 2013 owing to rising demand from so-called Next-11 countries and other emerging markets.
The report by Frost & Sullivan forecasts that the combined GDP of key commercial vehicle markets will grow at 3 to 3.5 per cent in 2013. This is expected to stoke medium-heavy truck sales growth at the rate of 4.3 per cent in 2013. Furthermore, the slowdown in Europe and moderate expansion in truck demand in North America will be largely offset by robust growth in Next-11 and other Rest of World (RoW) markets, resulting in global medium-heavy truck sales reaching 2.8 million this year.
It appears Apollo Tyres may have shelved its plans to establish a greenfield plant in Eastern Europe. Indian Financial Daily the Financial Chronicle writes that the tyre maker has “decided to drop its tyre plant proposal in the Eastern Europe region now due to declining volumes and uncertain economic environment.” Further details were not supplied.
Indonesian tyre maker PT Multistrada Arah Sarana Tbk has entered into a three and a half year partnership with globally renowned football club Manchester United. Neither Multistrada nor Manchester United have disclosed specific details of the deal beyond confirming that Multistrada is now the official tyre partner of Manchester United; no figures regarding the deal’s value have been released.
Titan International has announced several personnel changes resulting from its acquisition of Titan Europe. Cecilia LaManna will serve as the CEO of ITM, the company’s design and assembly centre for complete undercarriages and side frames in Europe. And Chris Akers will head up the entire Titan Europe wheel group; Akers will report to Titan Wheel’s president, Dave Salen.
Thailand, currently the world’s largest rubber producer with an output of 3 million tonnes/year, is seeking to attract investment from international tyre producers in an effort to promote its domestic market and simultaneously contain its rubber export volume. Deputy Agriculture Minister Yutthapong Charasathian invited tyre makers to come and construction manufacturing plants in the South East Asian country, saying the Thai government has already sounded out “leading tyre manufacturers in the US, China and Japan” to expand tyre manufacturing operations in the country.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres’ joint venture facility in Jinjiang, China has secured a three-year deal to support China Eastern Airlines’ fleet of ten Embraer 145LI regional jets with new and retreaded tyres. The agreement will see the Shanghai-based airline receive new tyres made at Dunlop Aircraft Tyres’ factory in Birmingham; these will be distributed from and retreaded at the manufacturer’s joint venture company, Dunlop Taikoo (Jinjiang) Aircraft Tyres.
Kian Hon Tyres Sdn. Bhd., the sole Malaysian distributor of the Maxxis tyre brand, is placing a greater focus on retreading the Taiwanese tyre maker’s products with the opening of an expanded retreading facility. The company says it has received the “full support and involvement” of Maxxis to construct a tread rubber production line and expand its retreading plant in Penang. Total capacity at the plant, which first entered operation in 1980, will increase to 120,000 retreads a year and 15,000 tread liners per month. The plant will be the primary retreading and tread liner production site for the Maxxis brand within the region.
Apollo Tyres has disclosed further details about its global expansion plans. Speaking with news agency Press Trust of India, vice-chairman and managing director Neeraj Kanwar referred to projects amounting to $US1 million. This investment will take place over the next half decade.
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