CAM Systems will return to Brityrex next week, taking a bigger and more prominent stand on the back of interest generated by its tyre labelling solutions. Visitors to Stand 52 will see how the software solutions provider is incorporating tyre labelling into its Cameo and new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms ahead of the 1 November EU legislation deadline – less than three weeks after the show.
Apart from the new venue, something else that you will quickly notice about this year’s Brityrex (which kicks off in just over a week's time) is the addition of a series of Tyre Talk seminars, designed to inform and provide a forum for discussion about some of the most pressing issues of the day.
DriveRight, an independent provider of wheel and tyre fitment data, has reported growth within the European Union over the past two years, citing the introduction of tyre labelling legislation as a contributing factor. The company established a database of vehicle fitments in 1995 and offered online data to manufacturers and retailers throughout Europe. The number of tyre fitments in DriveRight's database expanded from 31,000 chassis fitments in March 2010 to reach more than 40,000 currently. The need for dedicated support for DriveRight's diverse product range led to the company appointing French and Dutch agents as distributors, while the German market is served by the Berlin-based DriveRight GmbH.
Despite the late summer sun (or perhaps because of it) Goodyear invited journalists to the launch of the UltraGrip8 Performance at Icebar in London on 6 September. While it may have been uncharacteristically warm for a British summer, the Icebar environment (where the walls, bar, table and even glasses are made of ice) were intended to provide a physical reminder of what winter conditions mean for cars and drivers alike.
Kumho Petrochemical chairman Park Chan-koo has plans for the company’s future as a top global chemical-making company, marking over 20 trillion won in annual revenue with 20 original high-quality products that are number one in their respective sector by 2020.
Over 70 per cent of motorists are still completely unaware of the impending tyre labelling legislation and the fuel efficiency benefits associated with it. The figure comes from a survey of 3,000 UK motorists conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by tyre Chemical supplier Lanxess. It also shows that almost all UK motorists (99%) vastly underestimate the impact tyres have on their fuel bills, and that over half still prioritise upfront cost when buying their tyres. Less than 20% take fuel consumption and long term costs into consideration.
Patrick McLoughlin has been named Transport Secretary, replacing Justine Greening. As Conservative MP for Derbyshire Dales, McLoughlin was formerly chief whip and parliamentary secretary to the treasury.
In a nod to a certain purveyor of fried chicken, Maxxis International has referred to its new tyre labelling software as ‘finger clicking good.’ Two pieces of specially created software, which the company previewed at the Reifen 2012 show, have been deployed to communicate the performance of Maxxis tyres in each of the three label criteria to retailers and distributors in a consumer friendly manner.
Analysts at DB Equity Research opine that the European tyre label will not lead to any material change of market share amongst tyre makers in the coming years. In its 27 August morning news, the Deutsche Bank team explained the workings of the label and added that they consider its introduction a move “in the right direction.” However, the analysts believe the regulation should favour premium tyre companies with a multi-brand strategy, and they noted that "some companies will be tempted to cheat to improve their results.” DB Equity Research also expects that from a range of, say, 500 tyres, every tyre company will succeed in having “at least a few AA rated tyres they will advertise.”
The history of the EU tyre label is closely connected with the passenger car tyre segment. The criteria that led to standardised test procedures for fuel efficiency/rolling resistance, wet grip and external rolling noise primarily focused on the passenger car segment, and summer passenger car tyres in particular. Despite this, the label doesn’t just apply to C1, or passenger car tyres that are produced from 1 July 2012 (DOT 2712), but also to light commercial vehicle tyres (C2) and truck tyres (C3). Retreaded tyres, which account for a large percentage of Europe’s truck tyre market, are one of a number of exemptions to the labelling legislation.
With just three months to go before the mandatory implementation of labelling in November 2012, there are still many questions to answer about exactly who will be enforcing the law and what the penalties will be.
No, Continental’s Herbert Mensching and Dr. Frank Walloch cannot conceive that a tyre maker could solely focus its development on label-related areas just to achieve sales through high ratings. The two men, respectively managing director sales and marketing at Continental’s Commercial Vehicle Tires unit and director of product development for commercial vehicle tyres in the EMEA region, believe a one-sided preference for specific development priorities will evaporate after around nine months at the very latest, as professional truck tyre users are competent at evaluating these products. Instead of placing a focus on criteria such as wet braking or rolling resistance, what is of key importance for commercial vehicle tyres, most likely more than in the passenger car tyre segment, is balanced product development in which other criteria – such as mileage and retreadability – will rank high on the list of priorities.
How much of the market will be ready for the introduction of tyre labelling legislation when it becomes mandatory on 1 November 2012? Who knows? What is clear is that all parties are now allowed to publicly share details of labelling and have been free to do so since 30 May. And al this means it is more important than every to be up to speed. All the latest detail and analysis relating to the forthcoming tyre labelling legislation are now available online with the addition of our Tyre Labelling Special issue. Subscribers can read online now by clicking more.
From 1 November 2012, every new tyre manufactured since July will be legally required have a tyre label. And what’s more the information contained on the label must be presented – physically or electronically – to the consumer at the point of sale. So what better place to start this month’s in-depth labelling special than to take a look at the much vaunted itself and introduce its main features and some of the discussions relating to it?
Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters – to give our new label legislation its full and proper name – comes into force in just a few months. The EU has agreed upon a system of rating tyres using three performance parameters, and almost every new passenger car, light commercial vehicle and truck tyre (C1, C2 and C3 tyres) sold in Europe will come with this rating. But even before its mandatory implementation, murmurs of label scepticism can be heard. Generally, these comments hinge on the label’s limitations, and whether these will hinder consumers from purchasing the tyre best suited to their needs.
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