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Goodyear Gets Dealers Rugby Ready

When you hear the word ‘lion’ do your thoughts turn to the carnivorous big cat? No? Then Goodyear won’t have much trouble making you “Rugby Ready”. The company is helping its dealers catch the 15 a side fever with a new promotion it hopes will “get customers off the rugby pitch and into the forecourts.” In celebration of the brand’s partnership with the Rugby Football Union and the International Rugby Board’s Rugby Ready programme, Goodyear is offering rugby paraphernalia to dealers who buy direct from the company during June and July.

19th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Sapphire Energy Recovery Acquires Willow Tyres

Sapphire Energy Recovery is securing a reliable source of end of life tyres through the acquisition of a regular supplier. The company intends to purchase Surrey based Willow tyres following the announcement that founder and current owner Ray Bates plans to retire later this year.

“Willow has been a long trusted and reliable supplier of around 1.4 million tyres a year to Sapphire, and it was important to us that we could maintain that security of supply despite Ray’s retirement,” explained Clive Roberts, who is supply chain manager for Sapphire Energy Recovery.

18th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Announces US “Tames the Road” Rebate

Hankook Tire America has launched a $50 consumer rebate programme. Its latest “Tame the Road” promotion provides a $50 mail-in rebate for the purchase of four Ventus V12 evo radials. The rebate programme runs until 31 August, Hankook said, and will be promoted in enthusiast magazines, online search adverts and dealer-level POS and TV/radio spots.

“Hankook is listening to the needs of our dealers and consumers alike,” said Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications for Hankook. “We understand that in today’s challenging economic environment Hankook dealers are looking for a competitive edge and consumers are looking for the most value with their purchase. With this rebate offer we believe we’re accomplishing both.” (Tire Review/Akron)

17th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Maximum Safety at High Speeds

Today it is entirely possibly to purchase a road legal set of tyres rated for speeds above 185 miles per hour. Yet the faster a tyre’s rotation speed, the higher the resulting centrifugal acceleration will be. IN order to avoid the possibility of smoky scraps of shredded tread appearing in the rear view mirror, these UHP tyres must be designed to handle such extreme centrifugal forces. This can be accommodated by the use of jointless bandages composed of rubberised nylon or hybrid cords, which can absorb extremely high forces.

12th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

CMA Launches Tyres, Government Price Programme in USA

The new products, unveiled this week at CMA’s new Memphis warehouse, include fuel-efficient medium truck radials and a new 57-inch OTR radial for mining service. Now available are the Double Coin FR605, FD405 and FT105, described as “ultra-premium fuel-efficient tyres available for steer, drive and trailer positions;” a new mixed service tyre in the Double Coin RR202, an ultra-premium five-rib highway service tire; and the Double Coin RR680 and low-profile RT600 regional all-position/steer tyres. The Double Coin REM-11, in size 3700R57, was developed, said CMA, for “severe mining and haulage applications.” The giant OTR line features heat and cut/chip resistant compounds, application specific patterns for improved traction and longer original tread life; and a durable casing for retreadability.

The net pricing programme, said CMA, “enables federal, state, and local government entities and municipalities to purchase high-quality Double Coin TBR and radial OTR products at net pricing” through CMA’s dealer network. “Many of our products have been purchased by school bus fleets, government vehicles and other municipalities for some time through the local dealer network,” notes Walt Weller, CMA vice president. “This program formally publishes a TBR and OTR schedule and contract number so that anyone who requires a published program can participate in utilizing Double Coin’s value-laden products.” (Tire Review/Akron)

12th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MAG Shows Continued Interest in Clairoix Factory

More than a month’s silence over future plans for Continental’s Clairoix factory in France has been broken – a June 10 Reuters report indicates continued interest from the Dubai based Moaffaq Al Gaddah (MAG) Group. The news provider states that MAG plans to purchase the facility and employ around half the current workforce to produce three million tyres per annum.

According to a MAG Group representative, the company submitted a letter of intent to Continental AG on June 9, thereby commencing the due diligence process for acquiring the Clairoix factory. “We have yesterday sent a letter of intent to Continental,” MAG vice-chairman Fawaz Sabri told Reuters. “The objective is to regulate the relationship until we reach a final agreement.”

11th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

China Increases Scrappage Subsidy

While flagging Western markets are offering handouts to carmakers in order to lubricate sales, in China – with a car market still widely regarded as booming by comparison – has announced that it is to increase its own scrappage budget from one billion yuan (£95.6 million, $146 million) to six billion yuan (£573.6 million, $876 million). According to a China4Auto.com report, the move follows the success of the incentive program in rural areas.

26th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Calculate Costs with Conti

Continental has claimed a world first with the release of its truck tyre division’s “ContiCostCalculator”. This software employs a DEKRA-certified database and enables customers to directly compare the purchase and operating costs of commercial vehicle tyres amongst all main tyre brands. The key aim of the ContiCostCalculator, the company notes, is to help calculate a commercial vehicle’s running costs and show ways to reduce them.

The ContiCostCalculator works out the ideal choice of tyre using the customer’s individual usage figures. The cost-saving potential compared with similar tyre products is calculated and the improvement in economy is shown. The application not only takes the kilometre costs and the fuel consumption into account for the overall calculation, it also covers additional income from the increased payload that a lower tyre weight makes possible.

22nd May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Cuts 6,000 Jobs in 2009 Q1

German news sources have reported that Continental cut 6,000 jobs from its worldwide operations during this year’s first quarter. Karl-Thomas Neumann, the manufacturer’s chief executive, told shareholders at the annual meeting in Hanover that an additional 25,000 workers will be working shorter hours by the end of April. Both actions are at least partially related to the “major challenge” facing the company as a result of the mingling of loan agreements, deflated auto markets and ongoing global financial turmoil, if it is to meet debt and earnings conditions agreed when the company bought Siemens’ VDO automotive-electronics division in 2007. Conti is facing up to a 3.5 billion-euro payment in August 2010 as a result of that purchase, which has necessitated the forthcoming change of strategy, to be announced within 100 days according to Neumann.

23rd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Shall We Scrap the Banger Today, Darling?

Whip out the financial righteous indignation/mindless optimism, for today is Budget Day in the UK, and Alistair Darling has a whopper of an idea to administer some serious cardiovascular stimulation to the automotive industry. The government is prepared to pay up to £2,000 towards a new (or nearly new) car when motorists scrap a vehicle that is more than ten years old. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the idea is taken from the Germans and other EU nations, where similar schemes have resulted in new car sales jumping up to 40 per cent in the last month. Citroen dealerships in the UK have reportedly seen a rise in new car sales following their own implementation of such a system.

However, questions have been raised about the value of investing tax-payers’ money in such a scheme, since many of the additional new cars sold through it will have been imported, while the vehicles to be scrapped must prove their roadworthiness to qualify; only those in possession of an MOT certificate will be able to claim money off a new purchase. Of course, without this latter measure, it is easy to see a loophole developing, through which opportunists may profit by buying an old car with the sole intention of using it to claim money off a new purchase. While these concerns are worth addressing, it would take a hardened cynic to foresee no boost at all for new car sales in the UK as a result of these plans.

22nd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Offers Green Automotive Accessories

HiQ is set to offer two new innovative automotive accessories for customers. The HiQ network will soon offer high performance eco-friendly lamp bulbs and tyre pressure monitoring systems to motorists across Britain. HiQ retail support manager Paul Michell decided to bring the items into stock after identifying the demand for such items following meetings with centre managers and their customers.

The Phillips energy saving bulbs are guaranteed to last for 12 months, offer up to 20 per cent energy savings and will be available to purchase online shortly. The tyre pressure monitoring systems, produced by tyresure, not only advise motorists if their tyres are losing pressure, but also monitor tyre pressure without the need of a gauge.

14th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Market in Line for a Sell-in Bounce

Market analysts are predicting tyre industry sell-in sales volumes will improve sharply in the second quarter of 2009. Morgan Stanley experts explained in an investor’s note issued on 9 April that production cuts of between 40 and 60 per cent in OE and 10 to 40 per cent in replacement tyre production in January and February were “far more draconian than anticipated,” but nonetheless “deliberate and forthright” action. “We estimate Michelin’s sell-in tyre volume through the first two months of the year has declined approximately 20 per cent, assuming constant market share. Simply put, we believe this pace of volume decline is not sustainable,” the analysts commented.

The theory is that dealers that de-stocked tyres rather than purchase additional products at the beginning of 2009 are currently, or will soon, run low on inventory and therefore tyre factories must start running again. “We forecast Michelin tyre volume down 6.6 per cent for the full year, implying rest-of-year volumes down 3.9 per cent. At a minimum, we expect the extraordinary pace of volume decline to diminish sharply and soon.”

9th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ATD to Sell 37 Retail Outlets

US based tyre wholesaler and distributor American Tire Distributors Holdings (ATD) intends to sell the 37 retail outlets it acquired in 2008 as part of its purchase of Am-Pac Tire Distributors. In a financial filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the company states: “The acquisition of Am-Pac Tire also added 37 retail stores, predominately in the St. Louis, Missouri and Southern California areas. As these stores are not core to the Company’s business, management’s intention is to divest of these stores during 2009.”

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin North America Releases New HydroEdge

According to Michelin North America, its newly released HydroEdge tyre range delivers up to 33,000 more miles than its competitor the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred. On top of this, the company says the HydroEdge stops up to 14 feet shorter than its competitor and is the most fuel-efficient tyre in its category. All in all, says Michelin, the new tyre offers consumers even more than the previous generation while providing the confidence consumers expect from its premier large passenger car and minivan tyre.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Brings forward P7 Cinturato Launch

Pirelli has launched a new version of its P7 tyre – the P7 Cinturato. In addition to offering the kind of high performance edge characteristic of the Pirelli brand, the new tyre features a 20 per cent reduction in rolling resistance which, according to company figures, results in a 4 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. Pirelli’s decision to offer a high performance eco-tyre is immaculately timed as it follows the first reading publication of new EU laws raising the bar in terms of rolling resistance, noise pollution and wet-braking performance – all areas that Pirelli’s R&D department have improved upon the standard product in the development of the P7 Cinturato.

The launch of the new tyre, which was originally scheduled for 2010, was brought forward a year in light of the new regulations and following unprecedented drops in tyre sales at the end of 2008 and through the first quarter of 2009. With this in mind the launch can also be seen as a kind or proactive market impetus – offering tyre customers and end-consumers a something of high quality and performance that also offers potential fuel savings and ecological benefits. Green tyres are not new, but till now they have largely been combined to smaller cars and have reportedly conceded performance for fuel economy. Pirelli officially presented the Cinturato P7 at the Nardò International Test Track on 3 April.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors