Following half a century with Bosch, in which he held a number of important positions in the company, chairman of the company’s supervisory council, Professor Dr. Hermann Scholl is to resign from office, effective 30 June 2012. At the same time, he will retire from Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, where he has been managing partner since 1995.
Charles English, managing director/owner of Alba Tyres in Leeds, will take part in the ‘Only Fools Jump In’ team charity skydive on 1 April to raise a total of £20,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA). Funds raised will support people suffering from MNDA in the Yorkshire area and ongoing research; English’s support of the charity is motivated in part by his godson, James’s loss of his father-in-law to the disease last year. To make a donation, go to https://www.justgiving.com/teams/onlyfoolsjumpin and click on Charles English.
Responding to Francis Maude’s ‘jerry can’ recommendation, Kwik Fit shares that motorists may do well to consider other, simple means of saving fuel. According to the fast fit network, British motorists are, for example, wasting almost £1 billion a year on excess fuel through the totally avoidable practice of driving on under-inflated tyres; a Kwik Fit survey of more than 2,700 tyres across the UK showed 69 per cent to be at least 3psi under the manufacturer’s recommendation. So visit your nearest garage and check those tyres.
When not producing tyres, Germany’s Continental AG spends its time developing automotive and mobility technologies. This requires the company to concentrate heavily on research and development, and a current focus is on technology that eliminates the greatest risk factor on our roads – human error.
Ex-Bridgestone research scientist Xiaorong Wang has been indicted on charges of stealing trade secrets from the tyre maker and providing investigators with false information. Before his dismissal on 14 April 2010, Wang worked at the Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology in Akron, Ohio; it is alleged that after being fired, Wang downloaded proprietary information and removed it from Bridgestone premises.
Europe's new car sales decline by 9.5 per cent in February, and 8.1per cent Year-to-Date compared to last year. According to the latest analysis from leading provider of automotive intelligence JATO Dynamics, the European new car market continues to suffer, as economic uncertainty kept customers out of showrooms in February.
New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment has pledged NZ$135,000 (£70,000) to fund research into tyre recycling options. Environment minister Nick Smith announced on 14 March that the money will go to the Product Stewardship Foundation, who will utilise it through Tyrewise, a product stewardship programme it has established. The grant covers 79 per cent of the costs the Tyrewise project will incur and is payable upon the completion of seven milestones that culminate in readying a recycling scheme for launch.
On 12 March Indian tyre maker Ceat Limited announced the appointment of incumbent deputy managing director Anant Goenka as its new managing director following the retirement of Paras K. Chowdhary from this position; Goenka will start in this new role on 1 April. Chowdhary will continue with Ceat as a full-time director.
The tyre supply partnership between Michelin and Renault Sport Technologies for the World Series by Renault (WSR) championship has been extended until 2015. The tyre maker says Renault Sport Technologies chose to prolong its association with Michelin on the basis of its racing tyres’ performance and its commitment to develop specific tyres for use by WSR competitors. Michelin adds that the extension of the partnership between it and Renault Sport Technologies stands out as an opportunity to consolidate the commercial relationship between the two entities, and also makes a significant contribution to the development of Michelin’s new ranges of motorsport tyres.
Renault’s new electric car, the ZOE, is scheduled to be launched this year; the car, which is closely based upon the ZOE Preview concept car displayed in 2010, debuted at the Geneva Motor Show and will go on sale in the UK with a starting on-road price tag of £13,650 (after Plug-in Car Grant deduction). All ZOE models equipped with 15 and 16-inch rims will be fitted with Michelin’s new Energy E-V tyre as standard equipment.
Only a week after Cooper Tire & Rubber stated it will partner with Yulex Corporation on the development and evaluation of guayule as a source of natural rubber, Bridgestone Corporation has announced plans of its own to develop the plant into a commercially viable alternative to the hevea tree. The research project will be conducted in the United States as a joint collaboration between Bridgestone Corporation and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations; the Japanese parent company will provide funding and strategic input, while the American subsidiary will be responsible for finding the suitable location and operating the pilot farm and process research facility. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations will also leverage the resources of the Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology and its Akron Technical Center to provide technical and research expertise.
Motorcycle insurance broker Carole Nash is to introduce free security marking kits as a standard benefit not only on all new road and off-road policies, but also on renewals. The move comes after a successful trial of Carole Nash DNA+ at the end of last year, which saw thousands of satisfied customers apply the anti-theft measure to their cherished motorcycles.
On 1 March eleven graduates commenced Continental’s Explore Tires Research & Development trainee programme, and the German tyre maker has noted that – for the first time ever – female inductees outnumber their male counterparts; for 2012, the new intake of tyre research and development trainees includes six women and five men. Conti says that the proportion of women accepted for training in the research, development, production and marketing of tyres has been increasing over a number of years.
Out of sight, out of mind. Research carried out on behalf of Kwik-Fit shows 73 per cent of motorists don’t regularly check their brakes for wear. This high level of neglect is a stark contrast to the attention that owners pay to their car’s appearance – 65 per cent of motorists carry out car care activities such as washing or vacuuming at least once a month.
The official opening of Continental’s new winter test centre in China’s Heilongjiang Province was held on 23 February. The Heihe-based facility, operated by the company’s Chassis & Safety Division, is located in what Conti calls a “favourable environment for cold weather testing” and is made up of a 7 million square metre lake and 30,000 square metre land area. The Heihe winter test centre is the German company’s fourth ABS and ESC test facility; the others are located in Europe, the US and Japan. The focus for activities at the centre will be testing vehicle stability in all driving conditions, especially on low friction surfaces.
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