At the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon 2011, which begins on January 14, Yokohama Rubber will display a new tyre brand alongside its global Advan range. Known as “BluEarth”, Yokohama says the new line-up is based on the concept of “easy on the environment, people and society.” The full BluEarth range will be displayed at the show, including the top of the line BluEarth-1, the premium BluEarth RV-01 for minivans and the standard BluEarth AE-01 tyre.
From 1st January 2011, the Department for Transport introduced individual grants of £5,000 to purchase electric vehicles (EVs). This is part of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles' £400 million fund to reduce emissions from road transport.
Tyre manufacturer Maxxis International has received original equipment accreditation from PSA. The company says it has developed its MA-510 tyre in conjunction with PSA specifically for the European OE market – it already complies with the European type approval standard 661/2009 – and is supplying the tyre in size 175/65R14 on the Peugeot 206+.
Goodyear has introduced its first dedicated winter tyre for the SUV and light truck segments in North America. Called the Ultra Grip Ice WRT, the new range is offered in 16 popular sizes – 10 passenger sizes in S speed rating and standard load rating, and six LT sizes in Q speed rating and E load rating.
Maxxis has a goal of meeting the demand for quality, affordable motorcycle and ATV batteries, and is doing this through offering the well-known GS brand and its own Powerite brand. As Maxxis points out, the marketplace is value led and by stocking both premium products and its own brand, which is suitable for 80 per cent of UK road bikes, Bickers plc – a division of Maxxis International UK – can provide a solution for everything from scooters and superbikes to ATVs, irrespective of age.
While Maxxis has been making strides as a tyre brand over recent years, the UK company says it continues to meet market demand for “affordable motorcycle and ATV batteries” with GS brand and its own Powerite range. “In excess of 90 GS products are available through Bickers [a division of Maxxis International UK], all of which come with a standard two-year warranty. Understandably, there is a price premium on batteries of this quality, but because we deal in such high volumes it is much less than people might think,” says Maxxis International UK’s managing director Derek McMartin.
Snap-on Tools has announced the introduction of its latest, most advanced battery charging system – the EEBC500UK Battery Charger. “The EEBC500UK has many improved features,” says Aldo Rodi, UK managing director of Snap-on Tools, “including a higher working height handle which makes using this battery charger easier on the back compared to other models. It also provides increased efficiency as it has both positive and negative leads which can be replaced in the field and a new handy storage compartment which provides quicker access to optional battery hand tools. We are also offering a minimum £100 trade in on any old chargers, so making the new EEBC500UK even more attractive to garages.”
While everyone else was drooling over the Bugatti Veyron Super Sports’s jaw dropping 267 mph (431 km/h) performance on the BBC’s Top Gear programme last night, Tyres & Accessories was observing the tyre geek angle – at those kinds of speeds even the best tyres simply don’t last very long. During his report, May pointed out that Bugatti engineers had told him the car’s tyres lasted for around 37 miles a speeds of up to 258 mph (414 km/h). At speeds beyond this, however, the tyres’ life expectancy is somewhat more opaque: “Ask an admiral how deep his submarine goes,” Top Gear’s May was told.
Kumho’s UK distributor Micheldever Tyre Services and alloy wheel manufacturer OZ Racing have formed an alliance to make “ultra competitively priced” wheel and UHP tyre packages available through ECSTA Performance Centres nationwide. The tyre maker says that every sort of vehicle from Fiestas to Ferraris are catered for, and purchasers can choose from the OZ Racing line up of rims or the OZ Racing-designed MSW alloy wheel collection. All rims, Kumho adds, are TÜV approved and manufactured to the highest possible standard. The rims are available for cars, SUVs and MPVs in a “vast array” of finishes and sizes from 14 to 22-inch.
As reported before in these pages, Maxxis is the title sponsor – alongside Japspeed – of the British Drift Championship, which completed 2010’s third round recently. The manufacturer says Lydden Hill, which staged Round Three, is one of the most exciting tracks in the British Drift Championship calendar, and remains a firm favourite with the drivers. The challenge was increased with the typical British summer contributing torrential rain followed by bright sunshine and then more wet conditions.
Norbar has published recent test results carried out by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive). The toolmaker reports that they demonstrate that vibration exposure for operators using pneumatic torque multipliers to tighten 100 commercial vehicle wheel nuts was 10 times lower with its products than when traditional impact wrenches are used. The Norbar Pneutorque PTM-72-1350B and one other multiplier were subjected to lab and field tests by the HSE and both tools confirmed manufacturer claims of low vibration emissions.
Low vibration levels help avoid occupational risks such as VWF (vibration white finger) also known as HAVS (hand arm vibration syndrome). In addition, the Control of Vibrations at Work Regulations impose a Daily Exposure Action Value (EAV) of 2.5 m/s2, above which employers must introduce controls to eliminate or reduce exposure and provide health surveillance to operators regularly exposed to vibration that exceeds this level. According to the company, the Norbar Pneutorque pneumatic torque multiplier does not exceed 2.5 m/s2. This means there is no restriction in its use during the working day.
Danish recycling industry equipment supplier Eldan Recycling A/S reports demand from its German speaking markets is increasing, and therefore it is reinforcing its sales activities in this region. The recycling and separation technology specialist has appointed Dieter Jerschl as Sales Manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The company has also established a sales office to meet this regional demand. “The new sales office in Düsseldorf, Germany, is the logical next step due to the rising inquiries from this region,” commented Eldan managing director Toni Reftman.
Avon rubber is once again the tyre of choice for Isle of Man sidecar legend, Dave Molyneux. Last year, Molyneux took his victory tally on the Island to 14, thanks in part to the Avon Tyres on his outfit. This year, it is all changed as Molyneux has a new passenger – Patrick Farrance – and now has Kawasaki power for the coming road-race season.
As of April 1 the presence of an E-Mark on tyres became mandatory in Ireland in order for cars to pass the NCT (National Car Test), the Irish MOT equivalent. While the president of the Irish Tyre Industry Association, Dave Naughton, refers to this measure as a “big step forward for road safety”, the association estimates that 50,000 tyres currently fitted to vehicles do not conform to the European standard, and thus thousands of motorists’ cars may not pass their next NCT.
Tyres featuring Continental’s ‘ContiSeal’ technology received their first OEM homologation in early 2008, and despite the increasing popularity of the latest generation of run-flat tyres their fitment on the four-door Volkswagen coupé continues with the newly released revised model. Depending on the variant selected, Passat CC owners can choose between 235/45 R 17 94W ContiSportContact 3 ContiSeal, 235/40 R 18 95W XL FR ContiSportContact 3 ContiSeal or 235/35 ZR 19 91Y XL FR ContiSportContact 3 ContiSeal tyres for their new vehicle.
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