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Quoting figures from a survey conducted by online research firm One Poll, Manheim Auctions notes than less than five per cent of British motorists plan on purchasing winter tyres this year. Out of the 3,000 respondents to the August 2011 survey, 95.5 per cent said they are not planning to buy winter tyres despite last year’s hard winter.
AlloyGator, a patented alloy wheel protection system, has been launched with the aim of providing car owners with unrivalled protection against scuffs, scratches and other wheel damage. AlloyGator is an affordable solution in keeping alloy wheels looking better for longer for consumers and an opportunity to up-sell for tyre dealers.
A direct pay contract signed between Russian corporation Tatneft and Thai Eastern Rubber is hoped to reduce the procurement costs associated with raw materials for tyres. The agreement was signed following a Thai Eastern Group delegation visit to the Nizhnekamsk SSC tyre plant and Kama Research and Technology Center in Russia; this visit and meeting was initiated by OOO Tatneft-Neftekhim Management Company under the scope of implementing company policy of entering into direct pay contracts with raw material producers.
Earlier this year, Continental announced it would hire around 1,500 university graduates and young professionals for its global operations. The German tyre and automotive technology maker ended up hiring more than three times this amount – Continental reports that some 5,500 graduates and young professionals joined its ranks during the course of the year. This intake represents a substantial increase over last year, and Conti says hiring a larger number of graduates is part of its “ongoing efforts to invest in fresh knowledge and new ideas” which will, in turn, increase its innovative prowess.
Recent flooding in Thailand has had less impact on natural rubber prices than may have been inspective. Deutsche Bank research shows that the impact on rubber supply has been “quite muted” and flooding around key plantations is not severe. As a result the spot price for natural rubber has reportedly continued its declining trend, hovering around US$4/kilo – a level last seen in March 2011.
Pirelli has committed itself to support road safety campaigns in Italy, particularly those aimed at students and young drivers, through a number of joint projects with the Italian government. On October 6 the tyre maker signed a protocol of intent with Italy’s Interior Ministry and the Ministry for Education and Research to select and support joint projects and other initiatives. Under the terms of the agreement, Pirelli will work with the two government bodies on various road safety projects for at least three years.
Two new sizes have been added to Trelleborg’s TM600 agricultural radial range. With the addition of these new fitments – 480/8050 159D and 520/85R46 158A8 (158B) – the TM600 line-up now includes 29 sizes from 20 to 50 inches. Trelleborg comments that both new additions “demonstrate all the superior characteristics of the tyres within the TM600 range, including its unique TM range tread pattern that optimizes performance.”
Good news for the title sponsor and other supporters – official figures show the number of viewers tuning into watch the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – the BTCC to its friends – has grown an average of 43 per cent this year. The British Audience Research Board gained this statistic from an analysis of viewer activity during the first seven rounds of the current season versus the first seven rounds of 2010; this latest figure shows a growing interest in the ITV coverage – after the first three rounds the year-on-year increase was only 36 per cent.
As a step towards achieving capital market viability, major Continental shareholder Schaeffler is to be transformed into a public company. The decision for the privately-owned Schaeffler GmbH to become Schaeffler AG (Aktiengesellschaft) – an entity similar to a British public limited company – was announced by Supervisory Board chairman F.W. Schaeffler on September 26. The stock corporation is expected to be entered into the commercial register in October and Schaeffler Group operations will henceforth be managed by an Executive Board.
Spanish vehicle manufacturer Seat is showing its support for Tyre Safety Month’s emphasis on winter safety with a campaign highlighting the benefits of winter tyres. The campaign will be run through more than 120 Seat dealers in the UK and explain to customers the main features of and qualities of these cold weather products – features familiar to those in the tyre industry but still an unknown for much of the British motoring public.
Six major motorsport championship titles were won this weekend in cars fitted with Dunlop tyres. In the penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca, California, another podium finish for Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller in BMW’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing Team Dunlop equipped BMW M3 GT meant the drivers, team and tyre manufacturer achieved their championship ambitions with one race still to run this season.
As of today, specialty chemicals company Lanxess enters the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World index. In announcing its addition to the index, company Management Board member Werner Breuers commented: “Sustainable economic success is impossible without a diligent approach to the environment and society. This conviction is part of Lanxess’ philosophy. That is why the principle of sustainable development is firmly anchored in our corporate strategy.”
You get what you pay for. That’s the clear message Continental was communicating to fleets, safety associations and the trade at a series of Continental experience days the company has been running at MIRA this year. The firm also ran presentations and demonstrations on the benefits of greater tread depth, winter tyre usage, OE development and the evolution of its on ContiSportContact range.
Imagine the thought of tens of thousands of mobile traffic cameras on our roads. No these are not the kind of traffic cameras that are fitted to high police vehicles or are erected at the side of the road. We are talking about cameras installed in private cars, rusty old vans, delivery lorries and even public buses. No its not a nightmare it is the future according to one ex-police chief.
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