Research commissioned by the SMMT has found that the development of connected and autonomous vehicles will help generate 320,000 jobs in the UK. Researchers from KPMG found that these new vehicles will deliver a £51 billion boost to the UK economy and reduce serious road traffic accidents by more than 25,000 a year by 2030. It also forecasts the UK will be a global leader in the production of this next generation of vehicles.
Attending the Geneva Motor Show is about original equipment (OE) positioning as much as it is about brand building. So when ambitious and fast-growing firms such as Apollo Tyres continue to make significant investments in such an exhibition it provokes questions about the company’s OE strategy. Geneva may ostensibly be about the latest and best cars, but our conversation with Apollo executives quickly shifted to the commercial vehicle tyres sector. Tyres & Accessories spoke with Apollo Tyres vice-chairman and managing director Neeraj Kanwar as well as chief business officer Sunam Sarkar in order to find out more about this as well as to consider the company’s future retreading options.
Sumitomo Rubber is to supply tyres for the new Mazda CX-3 crossover utility vehicle. The CX-3 will be fitted with Dunlop-branded Enasave EC300+ tyres, according to a company statement. The Dunlop Enasave EC300+ is Sumitomo’s latest fuel efficiency-optimised tyre. According to the company, it offers reduced rolling resistance, superior ride comfort, and a balance of safety […]
The new Jaguar XE, the so-called “baby” Jag series, will be fitted with Trax steel adhesive balance weights. With the launch scheduled for May, XE target sales are 100,000 cars a year. According to the wheel weight manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover has been fitting Trax steel adhesive weights for some years and the new Jaguar […]
In addition to being fitted with Michelin Energy Saver tyres, the 2015 Ford Focus Electric will also come with Michelin Guides pre-loaded onto its SYNC2 in-car connectivity system. According to the tyre maker, every Ford Focus Electric that rolls off the production line will be fitted with 215/55 R 17 Michelin Energy Saver tyres. In […]
Pirelli’s OE Geneva Motor Show presence sought to emphasise the Italian manufactuer’s strong OE record, especially at the top end of the market. In 2014, Pirelli gained 266 new homologations, of which 213 came in the premium and prestige sectors, an increase of 6 per cent compared to the previous year. Of these, 118 had […]
Porsche AG has chosen to equip all of its Cayman GT4 launch cars with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 UHP tyres in 245/35 ZR20 (91Y) TL N0 front and 295/30 ZR20 (101Y) XL TL N0 rear. The tyre is already OE on other recent Porsche models including the 918 Spyder and GT3. Further evidence of […]
The Ducati Multistrada tyre supply baton has been handed to Pirelli’s Scorpion Trail II – the direct successor to the Scorpion Trail is the first tyre to be named as original equipment for the new Multistrada 1200. The Pirelli tyre will be fitted in sizes 120/70 ZR17 (front) and 190/55 ZR17 (rear) to the Multistrada 1200, Multistrada 1200 S and Multistrada 1200 S D|air.
The new Volkswagen Passat will roll on two versions of Falken’s 16” Ziex ZE914A tyres. Debuting at Autosalon in Paris at the start of October, the new Passat had the Ziex ZE914 redeveloped by Falken’s engineers in Japan and tailored to the Passat’s specifications. The new tyre is also available as standard in an Ecorun variation – the manufacturer’s designated fuel efficiency boosting brand.
The West European trailer market saw substantial growth in 2014, with an increase of 14.8 per cent over the previous year. According to new data produced by Clear International, the star performers were the UK and Germany, both of which saw their markets increase by 5,000 units. Other strong performers were Spain, France and the Netherlands where trailer demand was up by more than 2,000 units. In fact only Italy, Norway and Denmark failed to register a double digit percentage increase, the latter two only because they had both seen good increases in previous years.
JCB will fit Michelin’s new BibLoad Hard Surface tyres as original equipment across its extensive range of loadalls, telehandlers and backhoe loaders. The machinery manufacturer consulted with a number of its customers, testing the tyres in real-world situations prior to the deal. JCB said that the trials demonstrated high levels of damage resistance and impressive handling on rugged surfaces, leading to the new OE deal.
Pirelli and the development of SUV/4×4 tyres With its emphasis on style and high performance, Pirelli aims to make itself synonymous with premium and UHP tyre products in general. When it comes to the SUV/4×4 tyre sector, the Italian manufacturer is no different. Global sales of vehicles fitting into this category are expected to have […]
Christophe de Valroger has been appointed vice-president of original equipment for Bridgestone Europe’s passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyre business. He began in this role in January 2015.
BMW has chosen the Michelin Pilot Super Sport as the sole 21-inch fitment for its new high-performance X5 M and X6 M models. From its market launch in early 2015, the BMW X5 M and X6 M fitted with the optional 21-inch forged alloy wheels, will be equipped exclusively with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres. The 285/35 ZR21 105Y front and 325/30 ZR21 108Y rear ultra-high-performance tyres feature a number of Michelin technologies including multi-compound tread and Variable Contact Patch 2.0.
Russian car manufacturers have requested government support in order to help maintain staffing levels during the ongoing Russian financial crisis. According a report in Russia’s Kommersant, Kamaz, AvtoVAZ and Sollers have filed requests to their respective regional governments to access funds to help keep employment for workers.
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