LEGISLATION
“It is extremely concerning that access to manufacturers technical information is still limited for independent garages” said Stuart James, Independent Garage Association (IGA) Director. A new study by BOVAG, The IGA’s European counterpart, has found that only six of 13 manufacturer websites examined in the study allowed the researchers to successfully establish a connection between the vehicle and the manufacturer’s website.
The truck market was amongst the first to take steps to reduce costs when the credit crunch bit, but the flipside is that is also amongst the first to respond when conditions improve. And this is likely to have a knock-on effect on the tyre market that supplies it. Continental’s logic certainly fits with their figures. And the fact that marketing is growing again is evident based on the fact that UK and Irish truck and bus tyre replacement markets shot up 14 per cent and 5 per cent respectively in 2013. Now it is worth pointing out that these figures are based on ETRMA data which includes the top five and some other leading manufacturers, but not many of the imported brands that are popular to UK tyre buyers.
There are already signs that European tyre labelling is having an effect on the purchasing decisions of consumers, that’s the view of Continental representatives shared at the company at its recent annual trends briefing in London. Conti’s reading of market response to labelling follows a number of different view proffered by other manufacturer, supplier and retail sources. So far much of the data has suggested that the label is unused or unoffered and so therefore doesn’t have much influence.
Frances Molloy, who has campaigned for the introduction of tyre aging laws following the death of her teenage son in a coach crash caused by the failure of a 19-year old tyre, says she is determined to keep going despite the content of a letter received from Patrick McLoughlin. The Secretary of State for Transport reportedly stated he is” not persuaded” that legislation to restrict the age of tyres is “appropriate at this stage”.
In his last speech as chair of the NTDA Tyre Wholesalers Group (TWG), Ashley Croft addressed the proverbial elephant in the room by asking what constitutes a premium brand. The outgoing also used the platform provided by the group’s annual luncheon to questions of labelling, legislation, enforcement and to introduce RH Claydon’s John Parker as the new TWG chairman.
The use of speed cameras is supported by the majority of the motoring public, according to the latest research published by road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Eighty per cent of motorists accept the use of speed cameras, but this is down one per cent on last year’s survey. Seventy nine per cent think that […]
Cabot Corporation, the second largest carbon black manufacturer in the United States, has agreed to pay a US$975,000 civil penalty and spend an estimated $84 million on state of the art technology to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOX), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM) from its carbon black plants in Franklin and Ville Platte, Louisiana, and Pampa, Texas. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice, these measures will resolve alleged violations of the New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at these three facilities.
As we have seen, this year the TAFF awards provided a number of new winners. And the annual speech revealed some interesting details of what is on the horizon for the NTDA in particular and the tyre industry in general. With both points in mind, Tyres & Accessories has produced this comprehensive review of both the award winners and forthcoming NTDA news.
Compliance to tyre labelling legislation is lower one year on from its introduction than it was in the opening months of the rules. According to research conducted by market analysts at Encircle Market, the amount of labelling talk has actually decreased since tyre labelling was introduced in November 2012. The research also reveals a number of other details demonstrating relative some degree of inertia when it comes to the subject of tyre labelling.
As the market approached the first anniversary of tyre labelling, at the start of October industry body ETRMA expressed the need for consistency and sustainability in regulation across Europe. “The European Tyre and Rubber Industry has a strong manufacturing presence in Europe and needs a sustainable regulatory framework, well-coordinated among different policy areas, to remain competitive despite this long economic crisis”, said Patrick Lepercq, President of ETRMA at the association’s board meeting today.
Motorists are set to benefit from a more effective road network and will have a greater say in how their roads operate. Turning the Highways Agency into a government-owned company will improve efficiency and reduce running costs, with taxpayers expected to benefit from savings of at least £2.6 billion over the next 10 years.
A year on from the introduction of European tyre labelling legislation, the longest term data available assessing its impact suggests it is increasingly influence consumer purchasing choices. According to research carried out by Ipsos MarketQuest across six European markets on behalf of Goodyear Dunlop, 54 per cent of consumers are aware of tyre labelling. However, what is perhaps more significant is that about three quarters (71 per cent) say that it has influenced their purchasing decision saying they “utilised its gradings on three performance criteria before making their purchase”. The research was conducted by MarketQuest in June and July 2013 among 4,200 consumers from UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland, who had bought tyres over the past six months.
Marangoni Commercial & Industrial Tyres has announced the development of a new programme within its Marix range of retreaded truck tyres. The retread product manufacturer says the Energeco brand has the objective of improving the performance of rolling resistance, which the company identifies as a decisive factor in the decision-making process for professional users and fleets operating over long distances. It will also become more prominent when EU tyre labelling’s second phase encompasses retread truck tyre products, the manufacturer says.
Taking place at the Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center, Reliable International Exhibition Services has staged another successful China International Tire Expo (CITExpo), the eleventh edition of the show. Tyrepress visited the show on 4-6 September, 2013 in its capacity as a media sponsor, speaking with many of the exhibitors on themes of increasing importance in the Chinese tyre industry, such as the post-boom development of tyre brands.
With rises in the number of registrations of buses, coaches and cars in September, the commercial vehicle sector continued the good news, with total CV registrations performing strongly in the month, up 12.4 per cent to 49,197 units. This means the overall commercial vehicle market is up 8.1 per cent for the year-to-date, at 239,356 units.
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