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Report Shows Real Cost of Scrappage Schemes

With our own scrappage scheme now underway, it is perhaps timely to look at the experiences of our European neighbours. It is estimated that some 3.6 million new cars will be sold in Germany this year, around 800,000 more that would have been the case without the country’s 2,500 euro scrapping incentive, which owners of vehicles more than nine years old are eligible to take advantage of. However a report from the German website ‘Kfz-Betrieb Online’, based on a study conducted by automotive industry business intelligence provider Eurotax-Schwacke indicates that government incentives to scrap old cars are no silver bullet. “The premium doesn’t rescue the [automotive] sector, it only defers the problem,” stated Eurotax Schwacke managing director Michael Bergmann.

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Idled Dunlop India Workers Declare Hunger Strike

Operations at Dunlop India’s Sahagunj facility have remained idle since last November, and in an attempt to coerce company management to resume production some fifty employees and their families commenced a hunger strike on July 16.

“Fifty workers will continue the relay hunger strike till July 20. From July 22 the workers, accompanied by their family members, will go on a fast unto death. Our demand is that the plant has to be opened and production started immediately,” spokesperson Bidyut Raut said.

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

JK Tyre Achieves “Excellent Performance” in Quarter

During the first quarter of the current financial year JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. recorded “an excellent performance,” the company’s vice-chairman and managing director, Dr. Raghupati Singhania, noted. According to Dr. Singhania, this positive performance took the form of “all round cost reduction measures, better operating efficiencies, productivity and richer product mix.”

During the three months from April to June, the company achieved nets sales of Rs 8.98 billion (£112.4 million) and operating profit of Rs 1.07 billion (£13.4 million). The unaudited results show pre-tax profit to be Rs 620 million (£7.76 million).

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to Launch First 295/60R22.5 Multi-Purpose Tyre

In August 2009, Michelin will introduce the market’s first 295/60R22.5-size multi-purpose tyre – the Michelin X MultiWay XD for truck drive axles. With the new tyre, comments Michelin, drivers of large-capacity commercial vehicles in Europe will be able to travel safely on all types of road and in all weather conditions.

The tyres that equip large-capacity and car-carrier trucks are confronted with a range of challenges, the French tyre major notes. They must be able to travel thousands of kilometres on motorways in summer and winter, access loading areas on national and smaller roads, and sometimes make city deliveries on traffic-congested streets. At the same time, trucking companies need to be able to carry heavier loads, reduce delivery times and optimise costs, while maintaining superior safety performance.

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Midnight Fire Guts London Tyre Centre

A tyre business in Honeypot Lane in Queensbury, London was gutted by a blaze that was spotted shortly before midnight last night. The alarm was raised by workers at a nearby supermarket, who dialled 999 after hearing a loud explosion. A crew from Stanmore Fire Station was first on the scene and they quickly realised that more firefighters were needed to combat the blaze. At the height of the incident, the fire was tackled by 90 firefighters, with three aerial appliances and 15 fire engines.

Apart from quantities of acrid, black smoke, the firefighters were worried that the premises might contain propane gas cylinders and police closed nearby roads. The blaze was finally brought under control at 7am and nobody was hurt in the incident.

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Website “Offers Peace Of Mind To Consumers”

From today, motorists can be confident of receiving fair and honest services from the automotive sector, says Motor Codes Limited. Announcing the launch of its new comprehensive website www.motorindustrycodes.co.uk and the addition of another Code to bolster its armoury of consumer protection, Motor Codes Limited aims at providing a robust method of delivering ever-increasingly high levels of customer service to motorists.

The website, which is now the central source of advice and information for motorists who need help and advice on a whole range of subjects – not just Codes of Practice – is supplemented by a freephone advice line 0800 692 0825 for when the motorist needs to talk to the experts.

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin UK Tweets Itself to Twitter Service

What is happening in the tyre world? First your preferred source of industry news launched its Twitter service – see http://twitter.com/tyrepress for more details – and now Michelin has also joined the word of tweeting with its very own site. The company reports its tweets will include product information, tyre facts and tips, news of consumer offers and events.

Furthermore, the latest Michelin UK Twitter updates include the locations of Michelin’s Fill Up With Air roadshow where drivers can bring their car for a free pressure check and adjustment if required. Michelin’s tweets can be followed at http://twitter.com/MichelinTyres.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Permatex Advertises Tire Shire in Video Games

Permatex Inc., a key player in automotive chemical technology maintenance and repair, has launched an in-game publicity campaign for its “No Touch Seriously Wet Extreme Tire Shine” inside leading race titles Need for Speed, Burnout Paradise, GRID, and Dirt. According to the company, the opportunity was developed in conjunction with strategic video game partner Engage In-Game Advertising and Permatex marketing partner, Mintz & Hoke Communications Group.

“Promoting No Touch products with in-game advertising is a creative opportunity to introduce and reinforce our brand and tire dressing products among our target audience, who we refer to as members of the ‘Best Dressed Nation,'” said Permatex senior product manager, Diane Nesprido. “By placing our ‘Get Wet’ messaging and positioning our NO TOUCH(R) Seriously Wet Extreme Tire Shine within the action of games, we hope to increase our reach and encourage people who want their cars to stand out and shine to try our products.”

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Birmingham Show to Host Tyre Munching Panther

In the past T&A has reported on a cheetah snacking on tyres in a Cambridgeshire backyard – see our November 2008 story for details of this surreal occurrence – and now we’ve caught wind of a panther heading in our direction. This particular creature also chomps readily upon the black rubber objects, yet there is no cause for concern….rather than being a zoo escapee, the panther in question is a boon for the tyre recycling industry.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bosch Invests in US Test Track Upgrade

Bosch has invested approximately $8 million to renovate its vehicle test track in Flat Rock, Mich., to provide a state-of-the-art facility that will be used to test a variety of automotive technologies.

The renovation included repaving and expanding the surface size of the site’s Vehicle Dynamics Area, and reconfiguring the test facility to accommodate Bosch’s vehicle dynamics and foundation brake testing. Facility improvements include expansion of the pad size from 417,000 to 937,000 square feet; addition of a three-lane high bank curve; extension of the track loop from 3/4-mile to 1.4 miles; and the installation of a hydroplane surface.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New Car Market Begins to Pick Up

The market for new passenger cars in Europe (EU27 and EFTA markets) displayed a modest increase of 2.4 per cent to 1,461,859 units in June on the back of scrappage incentive schemes in operation in more than ten EU Member States. June’s figures represent the first market increase in 14 months. Accumulative figures for the first half of 2009 show an 11 per cent drop in European new car registrations compared to the same period in 2008, with a total of 7,425,762 new cars registered compared to 8,346,828 the year before.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

BITS Buys Static Axle Weighbridge

British and International Tyre Supplies (BITS), part of the County Tyres Group, recently bought a new static axle weighbridge from Axle Weight Technology Ltd (Axtec) in order to help it stay within strict axle load weight rules. According to the company, the increased weight of tyres has been making it more difficult to judge if the company’s delivery vehicles are within legal limits when they set off on their daily delivery runs. BITS wanted to achieve the maximum payload of around 1.2 tonnes on its 3.5 tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, while also staying on the right side of the law.

Taking 10 kgs as an average weight per tyre meant that 120 tyres can usually be safely loaded onto the Sprinters. But this way of doing things is a bit haphazard as the product mix can change the weight significantly, especially if heavier 4 x 4 or ‘run flat’ tyres are being carried, leading to the risk of an axle or gross weight overloading.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear and USW Extend Existing Contract

Goodyear and the United Steelworkers have agreed to extend their existing three-year labour contract until August 15 in order to give the two parties time to negotiate the terms of a new deal. The new contract, currently under discussion, will cover seven US facilities.

“We remain confident that we will reach an agreement that is acceptable to both sides,” said Goodyear negotiator Jim Allen in a statement.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Infinity to Launch UHP tyre range at Tyrexpo Africa 2010

Tyrecor is planning to launch a new range of Infinity UHP tyres into the South African market at Tyrepxo Africa next year. Confirming the news, managing director Charl de Villiers said: “Infinity will be launching an exciting new range of products into the Southern African market at the show next March, which will include Ultra High Performance tyres up to and including 21 inches in V and W speed ratings. The Infinity brand already enjoys a large following in Europe and other parts of the world and we have received numerous requests from our dealer base to expand our current range. “We feel that Tyrexpo Africa is the ideal platform to launch this range due to the exposure it offers exhibitors,” he said.

By mid-July, floor space for TyrexpoAfrica’10 was more than 55 per cent occupied and on track to meet targets set by organiser ECI International. There is a current balance of 40 per cent national to 60 per cent international companies exhibiting, with strong representation from China, India, south east Asia, Europe and the US.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Polish Online Wholesaler Expands European Web Presence

Polish online tyre wholesaler Oponeo.pl is preparing to launch its new Italian website in the next two to three weeks. This latest site will join the company’s German, Spanish and French pages, which entered operation this year.

“In countries in which we launched our e-stores, sales are already taking place. We are continuously working on improving the websites and increasing their functionality,” Ernest Pujszo, responsible for developing Oponeo.pl’s foreign sales, told the Warsaw Business Journal.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors