Tyre industry pioneers, Michelin has a long history. Having begun in 1889, Michelin is now the second-largest tyre manufacturer in the world after Bridgestone and larger than both Goodyear and Contineantal.
We know Michelin as a tyre maker, but at the moment tyre, mask and visor maker would be more accurate. The company is manufacturing these high-demand products in its own facilities in Europe or coordinating their outsourced production.
Michelin has been working with other companies to produce a new type of reusable face mask for use in the COVID-19 pandemic. The tyre maker adds that this OCOV mask, developed within a matter of weeks, is affordable, sustainable and can be produced in large quantities.
Michelin’s managing partners, the executive committee as well as the chairman and independent members of the supervisory board have agreed to reduce their remuneration. The announcement comes in the context of the coronavirus crisis that has caused a noticeable slowdown in the activities of the Michelin Group and which has led to some employees having to undergo partial unemploym
Michelin intends to reduce the dividend it pays shareholders for 2019. The tyre maker has outlined its decision, taken “in a commitment to optimally balance the interests of all its stakeholders”, to reduce the amount of the proposed dividend from the initially-announced 3.85 euros to 2 euros. Payment is scheduled for 3 July 2020.
Michelin’s tyre plant in Dundee, Scotland has produced its last tyre. Although the facility wasn’t scheduled to close until mid-year, Michelin now says it won’t resume operations after the coronavirus crisis – indeed, it considers doing so “unviable and unwise”. The decision has been taken in agreement with the Unite union, and the company will pay plant workers all wages they’re entitled to through to the planned closure date.
Michelin shares that the Movin’On team has cancelled this year’s World Summit on Sustainable Mobility, which was due to be held in Montreal on 3, 4 and 5 June 2020.
It’s already decided to shutter production at some of its plants in Europe for at least a week, and Michelin has now begun a temporary, phased shutdown of some of its tyre production facilities in the United States and Canada as well. It has also “established appropriate contingency plans” for the weeks to come and will adjust its actions “as the situation evolves.”
Michelin has confirmed that it has decided to close its tyre production facilities “located in the European countries most affected” countries for at least one week. Tyres & Accessories understands this means Michelin’s factories in Italy (Cuneo and Alessandria), Spain (Lasarte, Vitoria, Aranda de Duero and Valladolid) and France (Cataroux, Les Gravanches, Le Puy-en-Velay, Roanne, Bourges, Montceau, Cholet, La Roche-sur-Yon, Golbey, Avallon, Montagny, Vannes, Joué-Lès-Tours and Troyes
Newton Abbot-based heating oil and fuel specialist Heltor has returned to a full Michelin tyre policy across its fleet of more than 50 commercial vehicles. Michelin states that the move comes less than two years after switching to a competing premium tyre brand. Following the move, Heltor closely monitored the performance of the new tyres against existing Michelin fitments within the fleet and was able to track the precise tyre cost per kilometre between the two brands.
Tyre choice is a “decisive factor” determining a vehicle’s dynamic qualities, comments Auto Bild Sportscars in the preamble to its latest comparative test.The performance motoring magazine stresses that this is particularly the case when choosing the right rubber for performance cars. We see this in its 2020 summer tyre test, in which Auto Bild Sportscars looks at ten size 245/35 R19 (front axle) and 265/35 R 19 (rear) tyres that cover a range of prices and performance levels.
Representatives of Cooper Tires and Toyo Tires have respectively confirmed they’ll not exhibit at this year’s The Tire Cologne, as previously planned. Their decisions come as governments across Europe announce rigorous measures to delay the spread of coronavirus and reduce its impact wherever possible. Michelin announced its withdrawal as exhibitor last week.
Michelin commissioned a test bed specifically for truck tyres at its Ladoux production site in France back in 2000, its Machine de Recherche en Comportement Poids-Lourd – or MaRCoPoLo, for short. When deciding to modernise this facility 16 years later, the tyre maker chose Siemens as a partner for updating the automation and process control […]
According to the latest information on its website, preparations for The Tire Cologne “are continuing as planned according to the current status for the determined date.” But the tyre trade show has been dealt a further blow in addition to restrictions on large gatherings that were announced yesterday. One of the largest names in the tyre industry has decided against exhibiting due to the risk posed by coronavirus.
Auto Zeitung’s 2020 summer tyre test is one of the largest it has ever published. The German motoring magazine has looked at 20 brands of size 225/50 R17 94/98 W/Y tyres in an evaluation that covers premium to budget. The cheapest of the tyres on test can be had for around 230 euros (£200) a set; the most expensive cost more than twice as much. As you’d expect, the winners’ podium was dominated by premium products priced well above the average. The fourth-placed tyre is a different story.
Michelin has renewed its corporate membership of Transaid, the official charity of the transport and logistics industry. The tyre manufacturer, which was a founder member of the charity in 1998, also pledged to fundraise a further £25,000 in cycle challenge sponsorship during 2020.
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