petrol Archives - Page 12 of 15

Britain Turns its Back on Big Cars

Rocketing fuel prices, emissions-based car tax and climate change are taking their toll on drivers who are turning their backs on gas guzzlers and choosing smaller cars as well as public transport, according to research by insurance retailer Swinton. Swinton has analysed its motor insurance quotations database over the last 12 months and reports a dramatic increase in the numbers of motor quotations for smaller-engined cars.

Motor insurance quotations for the very largest cars on the roads including Hummers and Range Rovers have fallen by 16 per cent compared to 06/07 quotes, with Swinton also seeing a decrease in drivers seeking insurance quotes on more everyday Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), down 11 per cent in the last year. Quotes for cars with engines below 1.5 litres (diesel and petrol) have risen by an astonishing 20 per cent, a statistic that Swinton’s analysts lay squarely at the door of higher fuel prices, car tax bands and driver concerns over climate change.

17th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Announces F1 Tyre Compound for Final 2008 Races

Motorsport

Bridgestone has announced the compound allocation in the Potenza tyres to be used in the final five rounds of this year’s Formula One series. For the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, the hard and medium compounds will be used, the first time these tyres have been approved at this track. In Hungary, the soft and super soft compounds will be used, the same allocation as last season. The European Grand Prix at Valencia – the first Grand Prix at this new street course, will utilise the soft and super soft compounds. In Spa and in Monza the hard and medium compounds will be used, a change from last season when the medium and soft compounds were brought to both of these tracks.

“The data we have gained from the first seven races of the season have enabled us to make our allocation choices for the following five events,” commented Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone Motorsport director of motorsport tyre development. “Of these races, Valencia and Hockenheim are notable. We did not race at Hockenheim last year, so this will be the first time we have raced there with the current family of tyres. Valencia, of course, is a new street track and we do not have any previous data, and there is none from other race series. It will be interesting for everyone concerned to learn the track characteristics here. For Spa and Monza we have moved the allocation a position harder and will bring the hard and medium compounds, instead of the medium and soft used in 2007. We have made this change after analysing the data from last year, as these tracks were harsher than we had predicted. We will make an announcement about the tyre allocations for the final four races in the season later in the year.”

16th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Stingers Aim to Curtail Rising Petrol Theft

Product News

With fuel costs soaring, petrol stations across the UK in recent months have been experiencing a rise in incidents of drivers pulling off forecourts without paying. “Drive-aways” are said to have cost the industry in excess of £11 million in 2006 (according to The Petrol Retailers’ Association), though that figure is likely to have risen recently, as a result of the higher prices.

To combat this, petrol station owners have installed “stingers” – retractable spikes designed to shred the tyres of drive-aways. However, run-flat rubber, with its stiff sidewalls, can counteract the effectiveness of this preventative measure. With this in mind, Birmingham’s Drivestop has developed a system that implants a microchip into tyres running over the stinger, allowing police to track thieves whose tyres are shred resistant.

10th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Sealey’s Summer Promotion

Premium, Product News

The Sealey Summer promotion offers deals and discounts on over 580 products, running from May to the end of September. Sealey are slashing prices on a diverse range of products including their new range of Premier topchests and rollcabs. Other products include pressure/petrol washers, air conditioning units, fans and trolley jacks to name but a few and all are featured in the company’s 56-page “Summer Sizzler” catalogue. Further details and copies of the catalogue are available from Sealey distributors or directly from Sealey.

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9th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Launches “Kontrol Technology”

Product News

Hankook Tire has chosen the Auto Beijing 2008 show for the global launch of ‘Kontrol Technology’ – the company’s research and development philosophy. It is the South Korean manufacturer’s aim that, through Kontrol Technology, understanding the technology that goes into Hankook’s tyres will become easier for customers and dealer to understand. Kontrol Technology also represents a set of proprietary innovations developed by Hankook to ensure – in the company’s own words – controlled driving experiences. The result of Kontrol Technology, says Hankook, will be products that provide a range of driving benefits across four areas customers identify as vital when choosing quality tyres: performance; safety; comfort; and a tyre’s impact on the environment.

At Hankook’s Kontrol Technology information booth at Auto Beijing the tyremaker also premiered a new environmental tyre – the enfren – a product that has completed the Kontrol Technology development cycle and is due for its commercial debut in Korea during early summer. The tyre combines a number of technologies including a silica compound and an efficient structural design, and production facility technologies that enhance the tyre’s rolling resistance have been utilised in its production. According to test results from the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, the enfren improves fuel economy by 3 per cent and reduces CO2 emissions by 4 kg/km. The manufacturer says the tyre has the potential to save consumers on average of approximately 34.5 litres of petrol per year in comparison to a current generation Hankook tyre.

25th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

We Are Not Alone….

Product News

It appears it is not only UK motorists who don’t fully appreciate the importance of tyre safety. A nationwide US survey commissioned by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) has revealed 85 per cent of American motorists do not properly check tyre inflation pressure.

The RMA survey coincides with National Tire Safety Week, sponsored by the organisation and held between April 20 and 26. The RMA hopes that through the nationwide campaign it can share the basic message that spending five minutes every month checking tyre pressure can save both time and money.

“Record high gas prices should be an incentive for motorists to take every step possible to help make their cars and their money go further,” said RMA senior vice president, public affairs Dan Zielinski. “While our survey found that 61 per cent of motorists agreed that checking tyre pressure is very important to maximising fuel economy, only one in seven drivers properly perform this easy task.” And money will not only be saved at the petrol pump, Zielinski notes – premature tyre wear can be avoided by maintaining correct pressure. “Consumers can help their wallets and the environment by paying attention to their tyres so they last as long as possible, reducing disposal needs,” he commented.

22nd April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

MHT Forged Wheels – an Excess of Style

Product News

Amongst discerning petrol heads the MHT name is one requiring little introduction. The West Coast wheel house creates wheels considered by many to be some of the most desirable on the US tuning scene. And thanks to Luxury Wheels, the company’s creations are now available in the UK.

MHT’s premium range is headed up by its ultra high performance forged wheels, which come in a wide range of luxury and exotic applications. Luxury Wheels considers the two most recent MHT product offerings, the Excess and Vendetta, as designs that raise the bar for wheel design and construction across the industry. Whether you need a dramatically staggered option for your Lamborghini Murcielago or Dodge Viper, says Luxury Wheels, or you want to cut the ultimate dash with a 30-inch Hummer fitment, an MHT forged wheel to suit should be at hand. Each package is hand-assembled to create the exact offset and dish to suit each individual vehicle.

11th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Cut Down on Fuel Costs With Pilot Road 2

Product News

Michelin is offering £20 of free fuel with any set of Pilot Road 2 motorcycle tyres purchased before May 31. Customers will be given a claim form, and upon receipt of the form Michelin will send out a fuel voucher redeemable at any Sainsbury’s petrol station.

10th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tesco in Court Over Tyre Inflation Policy

Product News

A disabled Flintshire woman is suing Tesco under the Disability Discrimination Act as she claims staff refused to inflate her vehicle’s tyres on the grounds that they were not permitted to. Jenny Crowly, 51, claims that staff at the Tesco service station in Mold told her they were not insured to conduct the tyre inflation procedure, a decision Mrs Crowly attests prevents her from utlising the free air service on offer.

Mrs Crowly has fibro myalgia, a condition affecting the muscles, and additionally requires regular cortisone injections to control the affects of arthritis. When her complaint was presented in the Mold Crown Court, Mrs Crowly stated that she was unable to bend down and maintain the pressure on the nozzle without experiencing a significant degree of pain.

10th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear: DuraGrip Tyre ‘Pays for Itself’

Product News

Goodyear has introduced a range of new sizes for its Duragrip offering. Due to the apparent success of DuraGrip in 2007, the range has been extended covering popular family cars such as the Golf, Focus and Astra, as well as smaller cars such as the Fiesta, Punto and Polo. Goodyear representatives explain that the DuraGrip was specifically developed to cope with the constant stop/start of city driving. Futhermore, according to the company, the fitment of DuraGrip can actually pay back the price of the tyre in fuel savings.

“The tyre has been designed to deliver improved rolling resistance – and tests certainly show this to be the case. The DuraGrip tyre offers 18 per cent less rolling resistance than its predecessor. This, in turn, delivers increased fuel economy which is becoming an increasing priority for all drivers. In fact, when you do the sums you discover that the tyre can actually pay for itself within a year!” stated Ben Crawley, Brand Manager Goodyear UK.

28th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

UK Drivers Amongst the Least Attentive to Tyre Pressure – Michelin

Product News

Michelin’s year long study into tyre pressure has revealed that the proportion of cars on British roads with tyres at an incorrect pressure could be as high as 80 per cent, and the pressure in the tyres of half of all cars is incorrect to an extent that renders the vehicle dangerous to operate and an accident risk.

The French manufacturer checked the tyre pressure of thousands of vehicles across 27 European Union countries during its ‘Fill up with Air’ campaign, and results indicate that the UK, ranked 25th out of 27, was near the bottom of the pile in terms of ensuring correct tyre pressure – only Greece and Latvia faired worse. And not only is road safety being jeopardised by our sloppy indifference – major cost implications follow incorrect tyre pressure through increased fuel consumption, a factor that also impacts on our environment.

25th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

TyreSafe Highlights Poor Condition of Tyre Pressure Equipment

Product News

Recent surveys by Kwik-Fit and Auto Express both found that around 40 per cent of tyre inflation equipment at garage forecourts around the UK was not functioning correctly at any given time; however the actual figure is potentially much higher. According to a poll conducted by TyreSafe, as many as 60 per cent of motorists were unable to check their vehicle’s tyre pressure due to out of order air lines and equipment. This staggering statistic is, says TyreSafe, a concerning picture of the sub-standard condition of the services available to motorists at the nation’s petrol forecourts.

19th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

PCL ‘Dedicated’ to Sheffield

Product News

Pneumatic Components Ltd (PCL) has declared its loyalty to Sheffield by displaying the city’s “mark of origin and quality” on its products. Created by local businesses and organisations, including the Chamber of Commerce, The Made in Sheffield Mark is a symbol of the city’s ongoing commitment to quality and excellence.

The past five years have seen dramatic changes as PCL strengthens its global leadership in tyre inflation equipment and services, and establishes itself as a leading provider of pneumatic products. This has been achieved with the development of a strong range of new products, including the electronic tyre inflation ranges, air tool and air treatment ranges.

4th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Revolution Opens In Style

Product News

Tuning company Revolution threw open the doors to their £1.4m premises in November and not only did the ‘Who’s Who’ of the tuning World turn up to help them celebrate, but also droves of their loyal customers. Yokohama rolled up with their full roadshow rig and tuned BMW demo car. Toyo presented the impressive Pontiac drag car of Malcolm Francis, and Buddy Club showcased their stunning DC5 Integra ATC racer. There really was something for everyone. Even KITT from the cult 1980s television programme Knight Rider put in an appearance! Also on hand were representatives and demo cars from the likes of Eibach, Koni and Whiteline.

15th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Joint Performance

Product News

The scenic “La Borromea” toll road that twists its way down the 1,491 metres of northern Italy’s Monte Mottarone is renowned for offering splendid alpine panoramas and views of neighbouring Lake Maggiore. But for Pirelli and Volkswagen the road, draped across the mountain like a carelessly dropped strand of spaghetti, proved ideal for a far less peaceful use.

La Borromea’s steep descents, hairpin curves and sparse traffic provided all the ingredients required to show off the capabilities of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Pirelli. Returning in May after a 24-year hiatus, the not so ordinary hatch has high expectations to meet – its predecessor sold 10,500 units in just six months, a far higher quantity than anticipated, and quickly became a much sort after classic. So to prove that the 2007 Golf GTI Pirelli is every bit as much built of the right stuff as the 1983 version, in October Pirelli and Volkswagen invited media representatives to put their new creation through its paces.

17th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

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