A top priority for any fleet manager is safety. Recognising this, Days Contract Hire has teamed up with Michelin to give away Michelin safety kits worth £50 each to its fleet drivers, their friends and family members when they purchase two or more Michelin car, van or 4×4 tyres this year.
Shropshire wholesaler Treadsetters recently exhibited its PCR, UHP, 4×4/SUV and TBR Torque tyre ranges, in addition to its Torque-branded steel truck wheels, at Autopromotec 2013. Its TBR range includes an “anti-abrasive tread for increased mileage,” the wholesaler states, adding that the tyres are especially suited to “mid to long distance journeys on both regional and urban roads.” Torque steel wheels meanwhile are available in sizes between 17.5 and 24.5 inches.
Goodyear has announced the availability of its most recent coach tyre products as TreadMax retreads. The TreadMax Marathon Coach all position and TreadMax UltraGrip Coach winter drive moldcure retreads come in size 295/80R22.5. The newly launched products have the same tread pattern, compound and features as their new tyre counterparts, Goodyear states. Both retreads are also regroovable for more life and economy.
Cooper Tire has replaced its mid-range Lifeliner GLS in the US with a new model, the CS3 Touring. The new all-season tyre is available in T, H and V speed ratings, and sizes designed for highway and urban driving in today's modern passenger car and crossover vehicles. Cooper says the launch of the CS3 in combination with its current premium CS4 Touring tyre “offers a wide breath of sizes and feature options, giving appropriate choices for each consumer.”
Michelin’s head of Fleet, Dave Crinson, is issuing a warning to drivers against becoming complacent with tyre pressure following the introduction of Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems. TPMS became mandatory on all newly homologated cars in November 2012, and while Michelin welcomes the new European legislation concerning the device, which has been introduced to improve road safety and reduce CO2 emissions by alerting drivers when pressures fall below a certain level (typically 20 per cent under-inflated), Crinson is keen to highlight that TPMS is not an alternative to regular tyre checks.
Surface mines, quarries and cement works, plus infrastructure projects such as motorway, railway and dam construction, all have something in common. These operations are increasing in number around the world and in call cases articulated dump trucks play an essential role in their success. These vehicles, which can carry payloads ranging from 20 to 50 tonnes, need to be extremely adaptable, versatile and able to carry materials over sometimes difficult terrain, regardless of weather conditions.
Yokohama Rubber has introduced a new tyre size for rigid dump trucks used in construction and mining applications. The size 27.00R49 fitment has been added to the RB42 range; the new tyre is TRA coded as ‘E-4’ by the U.S. Tire and Rim Association. Yokohama says the RB42 range now covers ‘regular’ specifications for ordinary off-the-road surfaces and ‘cut protected’ versions with increased resistance to cutting – making the line-up suitable for a wide range of surfaces, from soft or loose surfaces such as mud or sand through to rough surfaces such as gravel and rocks.
Kraiburg reports that it has maintained its high annual customer satisfaction rating, roughly a year since the last analysis was done. According to the company, the news is confirmation that Kraiburg Austria’s customers are “very satisfied with their supplier of quality precure and hotcure materials.”
Interstate has announced that it will launch a new all-terrain tyre for the US market at the Latin American & Caribbean Tyre Expo – the first A/T American exclusive in the Benelux-based distributor’s range. The Interstate Tracer A/T will be available immediately following its preview at the Interstate dealer meeting just before the Panama expo, which takes place on 24-27 July. The tyre will be available in 10 LT/SUV fitments, with three-ply tread and/or three-ply sidewall construction in select sizes.
Porsche has treated the Panamera to a facelift, and the new model will be launched in July. Michelin continues in its role as tyre supplier – every Panamera will be fitted with Michelin tyres in all regions where the four-door Porsche is sold. In all, the French manufacturer is supplying the latest model with 12 sizes of summer, winter and all-season tyres.
Cooper Tire Europe has announced an extended 4×4 tyre offering within Europe, reintroducing the Discoverer CTS, and adding new sizes to many other products in the range. Europe MD Jeff Schumaker said the company is “delighted to offer Cooper’s complete range of 4×4 tyres in Europe, giving our customers the best possible choice, whatever their preference for off or on-road driving.” As well as the addition of the CTS, Cooper now offers a wider range of fitments in some of its most popular 4×4 tyres, including the Discoverer A/T3, S/T, STT, H/T, S/T MAXX and S/T2 ranges.
The continued success of Jaguar Land Rover in the UK market, with an increase in sales and market share in 2012 fuelled by the Evoque and the continued popularity of Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, makes high performance SUV products an important aspect of Falken’s range. To meet these vehicles’ demanding requirements, Falken says it will be providing its Azenis FK-453CC, tyres in new sizes to fit the specifications of the latest Range Rovers and Land Rovers. The size range will now include 255/55R19 and 275/40R20.
Nankang UK notes the brand’s particular focus on the ultra high performance segment, served by the brand’s NS-2, more recent NS-20 and track day NS-2R models. Steve Smith of Nankang Tyre UK believes budgetary constraints have become as relevant to the enthusiastic owner-driver as they are to fleet managers, with both seeking consistent performance at affordable prices, and this is where Nankang is positioned.
Goodyear has released its latest all-season performance tyre in North America. Initial sizes of the Eagle Sport All-Season are now available, and the tyre maker says the full line-up of 47 sizes will be on offer by the end of 2013. Goodyear says the Eagle Sport All-Season is suited for a wide range of vehicles, from the Honda Accord to the Audi A4 and Ford Mustang.
In February, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and Mexican firm Industrias Negromex S.A. de C.V. (INSA) jointly earned a US patent (8,357,733) for a process to produce silane, hydrophobated silica, silica masterbatch and rubber products. Building on this announcement, on 7 June the two companies reported achieving a further significant milestone. They have successfully evaluated silica masterbatch technology in full-scale production facilities and demonstrated that tyres produced with silica masterbatch technology offer a range of benefits compared with tyres produced using conventional dry silica mixing technology.
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