Britishvolt, which is purportedly making one of the UK’s largest-ever industrial investments, has announced the appointment of Ray Macera as project director for the construction of Britain’s first battery gigaplant. The new gigaplant is being designed by leading Italian design experts Pininfarina. It is set to be sited on a former RAF base in Bro Tathan, South Wales and will house Britishvolt’s manufacturing and research and development facilities.
UK motorists are some of the fastest adopters of online car buying, something that is rapidly becoming the new normal in Britain, Germany and Spain, according to research conducted by online car retailer carwow. A survey of over 1000 consumers who bought a car through carwow since dealerships were allowed to reopen found 54 per cent of recent the company’s customers in the UK said they would continue to do the bulk of their car buying online from now on. In Spain it was 45 per cent and it was 38 per cent in Germany.
Battery maker Britishvolt has signed an MoU with the Welsh Government to develop a 30 GWh manufacturing plant, and supplementary 200MW solar plant, at the former RAF base at Bro Tathan, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is anticipated that the initial £1.2 billion of investment from the company could eventually lead towards up to 3,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021.
Continental Tyres has unveiled a new commercial vehicle steer tyre, designed for high mileage and even wear during both regional and long-haul use – the Conti Hybrid HS3+. The Conti Hybrid HS3+ will be available in the UK from August 2020.
As we reported last month, Australian tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies (GDT) believes the time is right for them to expand internationally. Now the company is highlighting its intentions to move into the European market. Tyres & Accessories understands that Greece and Italy are at the top of the list, but talks are also ongoing in the UK.
Following the news that The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has appointed ex-Brisa and Bridgestone executive Hakan Bayman as president of Goodyear’s consumer tyre business in Europe, it has emerged that former Goodyear Dunlop UK MD, Erich Fric has been appointed as Goodyear managing director Europe Central. Both appointments are effective 1 July 2020.
Australian tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies, which recycles tyres according to a kind of pyrolysis process, is considering expanding into the UK and other international markets.
Expansion began with an agreement with a tyre collection business who are so confident in the Australian technology that they have increased their commitment to GDT from 10 tyre recycling facilities across the US to 15 with the construction of three key plants to commence as soon as the regulatory agreements and government approvals are obtained.
Continental Tyres and Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK have created a new integrated digital Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
In recent years, the popularity of multideck trailers has steadily increased as more and more fleets – especially those transporting in the grocery sector – recognise the environmental and cost benefits that these space-maximising trailers can bring. However, such trailer configurations are not without issues. A heavier load and greater frequency of use can lead to tyre pressure challenges and temperature build up around trailer wheels.
The UK government is searching for 4 million square feet of industrial space to house an electric vehicle Gigafactory. According to Property Week, the Department for International Trade (DIT) has made the request for “an electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing plant in the UK”. In addition, the 650-acre Gravity site in Somerset has been specifically linked as prospective location for the apparent Gigafactory project. And what’s more Property Week has linked Tesla to the search for the site. Taken together, the scale of the project, DIT’s confirmation that it is for vehicle research, development and manufacturing, and the suggestion that it is all for Tesla mean the project is a prospective Gigafactory.
Tyre distributors from across the country have come together to support the restarting of the tyre trade. Large and small retailers from St Helens to the South East worked together to produce the inaugural Tyrepress webinar entitled “Kick-starting your tyre business’.
A survey among of over 900 decision-makers within UK businesses has found that: 57 per cent of UK private sector organisations are considering expansion into new global markets in the near future as a result of COVID-19. The research, commissioned by One World Express, also found that 45 per cent of businesses say the pandemic has made them realise they are overly reliant on one market. At the same time, 44 per cent are looking to expand into markets outside of the Single Market due to Brexit.
The UK Department for International Trade has announced a new UK Global Tariff (UKGT). Announced on 19 May 2020, this replaces the EU’s Common External Tariff on 1 January 2021 at the end of the Brexit Transition Period. As it pertains to the tyre business, while there are various categories, the announcement basically means the new UKGT sees tyre duty reduced from 4.5% to 4.0%. Camel back rubber for use in retreading stays at 0%, while duties cushion industrial tyres are reduced to 2.0% from 2.5%.
A farmer in Northern Ireland has become the first person in Northern Ireland to put Michelin’s X Tweel SSL airless tyre and wheel combination into operation. Michelin has offered its range of Tweel products for grass mowing, agricultural and industrial applications in North America for several years, but its fitment for skid-steer loaders is the first Tweel product to arrive this side of the Atlantic.
Pirelli UK is to recommence production at its plants in Carlisle and Burton-on-Trent from 18 May 2020. Initial production will be at a reduced rate, reflecting current market demand. “The company’s top priority is ensuring the health and safety of its workers and the wider community”, an official statement added.
In April 2020 many European countries reached the peak of new infections resulting from the coronavirus, something that is likely to lead to a massive fall in trailer production in the second and third quarters of 2020, according to analysts Clear. During April many trailer manufacturers closed their business in April in order to comply with government recommendations on social distancing but also because there was little or no business to be done. Now manufacturers are having to consider how they can resume production to at least meet the low level of demand that will exist in Q2 2020.
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