Product News Archives - Page 53 of 260 - Tyrepress

Tyre industry professionals need to know what the latest product developments are. Look no further than the Tyrepress.com product news tag,

Posts

Michelin Pays $375,000 to Settle Advertising Complaint

In the US Tennessee state Attorney General, Bob Cooper, yesterday announced a multi-state settlement with Michelin North America “regarding alleged misrepresentations Michelin made in its advertising of Michelin fuel efficient tyres.” The manufacturer agreed to make minor changes in the copy of print advertisements it has run concerning the purported fuel efficiency of its tyres, and is paying $375,000 to cover the alleged cost of the investigation, Tire Review reports. The attorney general, though, “acknowledges that Michelin fully cooperated with the multi-state investigation and the investigation did not question the safety or quality of Michelin’s tyres.” Michelin, which said it followed prevailing Federal Trade Commission advertising guidelines, denied any wrongdoing.

The Tennessee attorney general reacted to a complaint filed by Bridgestone Americas, which Michelin claimed was the only complaint filed. However, attorney general spokesperson Sharon Curtis-Flair told Boston media that “the investigation started based on a consumer complaint, not a complaint by Bridgestone.” Other states joining the agreement include Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont. Each will receive a share of Michelin’s settlement payment.

15th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Irish Tyre Industry Criticised Over Waste Management

The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government has blasted the tyre industry for its failure to comply to the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2007. According to the Irish Trucker website, Department officials met with members of the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) to discuss complying with the regulations amid growing fears over how tyres are disposed of. Furthermore, the legal requirements have reportedly been sent to all members of the ITIA in the hope that the regulations will be adhered to on a more regular basis from now on.

15th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Marshal Adopts New Brand Identity

Marshal has adopted a new brand identity. Marshal has been produced by Korean manufacturer Kumho Tire for 25 years ago and is sold in many countries around the world, including Australia, Germany, Italy and the UK – its largest single market.

According to a press release detailing the new brand ID, the smart grey and yellow logo will sometimes be used alone and sometimes in conjunction with the familiar red Marshal background. The new ‘signature’ was reportedly designed to better reflect the clean, high-tech image of the brand’s contemporary product range.

15th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli P Zero Tyre of the Year 2009

Auto Express has named the Pirelli P Zero ‘Tyre of the Year, ahead of three other competing brands. According to the magazine, Pirelli won the award for design a tyre with the best balance of braking and handling in the wet and dry, aquaplaning, rolling resistance and price.

Auto Express commented: “Designing tyres is all about trading off performance in one area for a gain in another However, Pirelli has certainly hit on a winning compromise here, as the P ZeroTM starred not only in the wet, but also in the dry. It topped the times on both handling tracks, plus got the honours in curved aquaplaning. No wonder it inspires confidence when the heavens open. A great all-rounder that thoroughly deserves a place on your car.”

15th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Consumer Reports Survey: Independent Shops Prefered

A new Consumer Reports’ survey shows US consumers prefer using independent vehicle repair shops over car dealerships for vehicle maintenance. “The magazine’s survey points up something independent shops have known for a long time: independent service is more satisfying,” said Ron Pyle, president and CEO of ASA. “The magazine is to be commended for its work in coming up with good, solid data that verifies that claim. That’s a real service to its readers and today’s motorists.”

According to Consumer Reports, in a story in its June 2009, issue: “Eighty-four per cent of owners reported being satisfied with maintenance performed at independent shops compared with 77 per cent at (car) dealerships.” The magazine based that finding on a survey involving 349,000 vehicles. (Tire Review/Akron)

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin NA Gets Retreader, Sells Centres

In the US, Colony Tire Corp. has signed on as a Michelin retreading franchisee, and bought three of Michelin North America’s Tire Centers Inc. commercial truck tire centres.

The Edenton, North Carolina, dealer and retreader has 45 locations – 20 of them commercial centres – and acquired TCI locations in Newport News, Belle Haven and Norfolk, Virginia. It will convert over to the Michelin Retread Technologies retreading system by the end of this month, Michelin said.

“At Colony Tire, our primary objective is to exceed our customer’s expectations for products and service,” said Charlie Creighton, CEO of Colony Tire. “Michelin’s process and product offering are a perfect match for that objective. Our customers demand high-quality retreads, and MRT enables us to provide those products, which support our customers’ long-term growth and prosperity.” (Tire Review/Akron)

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Vredestein Banden Buyout Imminent

Apollo’s vice chairman Neeraj Kanwar was quoted today as saying “We are looking at closing this deal [to acquire Vredestein Banden] in the next few days,” a new press release indicates. Indian manufacturer Apollo Tyres expects to acquire Dutch sector player Vredestein Banden for an undisclosed sum soon, according to Dow Jones. The company’s board gave the green light to the buyout, which is part of Apollo’s strategy to expand its presence in Europe, on 30 April.

Vredestein Banden is fully owned by tyre producer Amtel-Vredestein NV. The company went into bankruptcy last month, but its unit Vredestein Banden and its European subsidiaries, which have separate financing arrangements, remained unaffected.

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Alcoa Dura-Flange Wheels an Option on Scania Trucks

Alcoa Dura-Flange wheels are available as option choice for Scania Trucks from May. According to the company, they will be offered in sizes 22.5 x 8.25, 22.5 x 9.00 and 22.5 x 11.75 (135 mm offset). Dura-Flange wheels have a patented treatment that provides a protective shield to prevent rim wear. Alcoa Dura-Flange wheels, says the manufacturer are the only wheels on the market that are protected from this type of wear, giving them at least double the life time of other aluminium wheels and four times the life time of steel wheels under the same conditions. Dura-Flange wheels are said to be most suitable for Scania trucks in applications such as liquid food transport, local fuel distribution, heavy hauling such as logging and operations under extreme conditions like mining where shifting loads cause the tyre to rub against the wheel.

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Makes Organisational Changes

Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has executed an internal reorganization process that will take effect as of 26 June 2009. According to the manufacturer, the company’s Tire Group aims to improve its business efficiency and speed by shaping itself around six functional organizations: sales & marketing, production, technical, quality assurance, product planning, and logistics. The group says it also aims to form “an organization capable of developing and executing a global business strategy with the establishment of an integrated sales setup to cover both domestic and overseas markets and the enhancement of global functions in technical and production divisions.”

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Wins Two Consumer Digest ‘Best Buys’

Kumho Tires won two “Best Buy” awards in a recent tyre test run by Consumers Digest magazine in the US. Kumho’s Solus KR21 and Ecsta STX were honoured in the Touring Cars and Performance SUV categories respectively. The Consumers Digest evaluation ranged from all-season passenger and performance tyres to those for light trucks and SUVs.

“The Solus KR21 is an outstanding touring tyre and the Ecsta STX is an exceptional performance SUV tyre and all of us at Kumho are excited about the recognition these tyres have received,” said Rick Brennan, Kumho’s vice president, sales and marketing. “Earning Consumers Digest’s ‘Best Buy’ award is a key indicator of Kumho’s pledge to value and performance.”

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

JK Tyre Tops Indian OE Survey

JK Tyre has topped the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2009 India Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Index. Now in its ninth year, the study analyzes new-vehicle buyer satisfaction with original equipment tyres by examining five key factors – durability, ride, traction and handling. With an overall score of 811 on a 1,000-point scale, JK Tyre performed particularly well in all factors that drive overall satisfaction. MRF came second with 804, followed by Bridgestone (797), Apollo (784) and Goodyear (767). Overall satisfaction has declined by 10 points from 2008 to an average of 798 in 2009. Furthermore, the percentage of customers reporting a problem with their original tyres increased from 19 per cent in 2008 to 22 per cent in 2009.

“The occurrence of even a single problem leads to a strong negative impact on tyre satisfaction, with satisfaction averaging 70 points lower among customers who experience a tyre-related problem, compared with customers who do not,” said Mohit Arora, senior director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Problems like excessive tyre noise while driving, poor traction on wet roads and recurring flat tyres not only cause driving inconvenience, but also can be safety hazards, which intensifies the negative impact on customer satisfaction.”

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hayes Lemmerz Files Chapter 11 Again

Yesterday afternoon Hayes Lemmerz, the world’s largest wheel manufacturer, filed for so-called Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time this decade. The company was last in this position between November 2001 to June 2003 when it formulated a strategy of focusing on core business, namely steel and aluminium car wheels and truck steels wheels. Now having sold virtually all the areas that don’t fit into these categories, Hayes Lemmerz has collapsed under the heavy burden of debts. The news follows an earlier announcement that Hayes had received a written warning that it faces listing compliance issues for filling full-year 2008 results too late.

In a statement Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. said the majority of lenders holding the company’s secured debt have reached an agreement regarding restructuring. Some will provide a debtor-in-possession loan to the company, which will make available up to $100 million of additional liquidity, to enable it to continue operating during the restructuring period.

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Schaeffler Group to Make 250 million euros of Savings

Schaeffler Group has announced that is to implement further cost adjustments, while trying to prevent layoffs. In the first quarter of 2009, the company’s Automotive division recorded a downturn of 33 per cent compared to the previous year, which has now stabilized at a level 25 per cent below last year’s. The Schaeffler Group’s Industrial division, which accounts for 40 percent of total sales, sustained losses of 12 per cent in the first quarter. At 7.5 billion euros, current sales expectations for 2009 are significantly below 2008 levels. In a statement the company said it does not expect the markets to return to 2008 levels until 2012 or 2013.

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Alliance Launches 800/70R 38 HP Agricultural Tyre

Alliance Tire has announced the release onto the US market of its 800/70R 38 tyre as the newest addition to the 370 series for high-powered agricultural tractors and combines.

The heightened performance values are joined by a wide base to provide an additional 10 per cent on top of the load capacity as the normal section size (at the same pressure) it is designed to replace. The larger footprint should also help to reduce soil compaction and improve flotation, says Alliance. The company adds that the tyre possesses aggressive lugs with a non-skid depth of 78/32nds, rigid radial belts and a rugged nylon casing, and unique shoulder and mudguard design. The tyre is suitable for any soil conditions.

13th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MotoGP Competition “Tight” with Single Tyre Supplier

Previewing the fourth round of this year’s MotoGP championship, which takes place at Le Mans at the weekend, Hiroshi Yamada predicts that competition will continue to be fierce following the presence of three different riders at the top of the leaderboard after each of the first three Grand Prix weekends: “We’ve now had three races of this new season with Bridgestone supporting all riders and teams as the series’ Official Tyre Supplier, and in this time I am very pleased to have seen three championship leaders. Casey is only 11 points behind Valentino and Jorge and Dani are tied on points for third position, so we could see another change at the French Grand Prix.

“Valentino will want to win to keep himself on-track for his 100th victory in Mugello and Casey will want to make amends for last year’s race, but Jorge and Dani are also fast at Le Mans, Colin Edwards has performed well there in the past and after his excellent fourth position in Jerez, Randy de Puniet will carry a lot of confidence into his home grand prix so I think competition at the front will be tight. We had full wet race in 2007 and last year rain fell in the middle of the race, so I hope this year we will have another exciting battle but with dry conditions!”

12th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors