The all-electric VW ID.7 leaves the factory with Continental tyres as standard equipment thanks to Volkswagen’s selection of the EcoContact 7 S as exclusive worldwide original equipment fitment for this model in the 21-inch tyre size. Continental is supplying the tyre in 235/40 R21 98H XL and 265/35 R21 101H XL; both dimensions feature the ContiSeal puncture solution.
Following several reports in the German press relating to earlier allegations of worker mistreatment during the construction of Linglong’s Zrenjanin, Serbia tyre factory, which has led to truckmaker MAN’s suspension of tyre deliveries from Linglong, Linglong International Europe d.o.o. representatives have responded with an official statement rebutting the allegations. The statement begins by highlighting that Linglong Europe is paying “great attention to all the allegations reflected in the press” before characterizing them as “old news” and even “fake news”: “we would like to emphasize that all allegations are old news and all the facts are twisted and crafted to make fake news to damage our reputation.”
Around a year and a half ago, Germany’s Deutschlandfunk radio reported on the alleged disregard for environmental social rights by Chinese tyre manufacturer Shandong Linglong in connection with the construction of its new production plant in Serbia, which was commissioned in mid-2022 and opened in early 2023. A few weeks ago, the Tagesspiegel made similar accusations against the company, and now Managermagazin has turned its attention to this topic and the accusations made against the supplier in connection with the construction of its new plant, which range from human rights violations to human trafficking.
In recent months, Linglong Serbia tyre factory has been certified by car manufacturers including: Nissan, Volkswagen, Audi, Ford, Stellantis group, Hyundai and Kia as well as the truck manufacturer MAN and approved for the production of original equipment tyres – an essential prerequisite for the production of tyres specified for delivery to automobile manufacturers.
Volkswagen is launching the latest versions of its Passat estate, which is known as the Variant in most markets, and has selected a range of Goodyear summer, all-season and winter tyres as original equipment. A Goodyear tyre is available for all applicable sizes on the new model.
If a VW dealership informs an ID.3 owner during the course of a standard service appointment that the car’s tyres need to be replaced, it may not simply be a case of wear and tear. We’ve heard of one owner who was informed during a dealer workshop visit that the tyres on his VW ID.3 would need to be replaced if they were specific Goodyear original equipment tyres. He was told that there may be an issue with the tread, and the dealer replaced the Goodyear OE tyres with a new set of Continental tyres free of charge.
The award-winning VW ID. Buzz will roll off production lines on the GitiSynergyH2, as tyre manufacturer Giti Tire secures its first European electric vehicle (EV) original equipment homologation. The ID. Buzz will fit 235/60 R18 (front) and 255/55 R18 (rear) tyres, and is being produced in Hannover, Germany near Giti Tire’s European Research & Development Centre, where the tyre was designed. The ID. Buzz was recently named Overall Winner and Best Large Electric Car at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2023. The tyre has won previous original equipment contracts for Volkswagen Group combustion-engine powered vehicles.
Volkswagen says the ID. GTI Concept show car it is presenting for the first time at the IAA Mobility in Munich provides a “concrete insight” into how it will transport the GTI label into the “electric future”. Based on the ID. 2all1 presented in March – a future electric compact car expected to cost around 25,000 euros – VW considers the ID. GTI Concept to be “more than just a show car.”
Goodyear has come on board as an original equipment tyre supplier to the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and transport version ID. Buzz Cargo. VW operations in regional and national markets have the option of offering customers tyres from the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, UltraGrip Performance+ or Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 ranges as standard.
Following the news that the Canadian Federal Government and Volkswagen have agreed to invest more than $14.8bn for the construction of a battery gigafactory in Ontario, Lucy Tripathi, automotive senior analyst at GlobalData, ocomments: “Volkswagen is the second largest automaker in the world and the battery cell business is one of its new auto strategies, which will help the company in becoming a leader in low-carbon or zero-carbon emission mobility. The goal of Volkswagen is to have 80 per cent of its vehicles to be electric by 2030.
Drawing upon information from two anonymous sources, Russian newspaper Kommersant has named Moscow-based holding company S8 Capital as a potential purchaser of Continental’s assets in Russia, including its tyre plant in Kaluga. Kommersant shares that S8 Capital, owned by entrepreneur Armen Sargsyan, has already acquired a lift manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg from Otis Worldwide Corporation.
The VW camper is back in electric form as the ID. Buzz, and Hankook Tire says it is supplying tyres for models delivered with optional high-spec wheels. Volkswagen has also approved Hankook tyres as original equipment in the standard size worn by the ID. Buzz Cargo.
Although his name is first and foremost associated with Volkswagen, Continental also credits Prof. Dr Carl Horst Hahn, who died last weekend at the age of 96, as being one of the “formative personalities” behind the automotive supplier and tyre maker’s “success story.”
Following previous original equipment tyre deals with Volkswagen, Giti Tire has secured further OE fitment sizes on the award-winning VW Crafter. The manufacturer’s GitiVanHD1 is now specified in 235/65 R16 C115/113R and 205/75 R16 C113/111R for new Crafters coming off production lines. Giti’s first partnership on the VW van began in April 2020, with the 205/70R17 C115/113R. It was the Giti brand’s first European light commercial vehicle OE contract.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has opened the order books for prospective ID. Buzz owners in the UK, and this sheds further light on the tyres the all-electric campervan will wear. UK customers can choose from three trim levels: Life, Style and 1st Edition. Continental and Hankook are supplying original equipment tyres for these UK market models.
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