On January 26 Michelin renewed a long-term global contract with the Volvo Group. The initial contract was signed in December 2003, and under the terms of the new contract Michelin will offer truck tyres as OE for vehicles assembled by Volvo in Europe, North America and South America under the brand names Volvo Trucks, Volvo Buses, Renault Trucks and Mack Trucks.
While most people visit motor shows to admire the latest and greatest from the world’s carmakers, those whose taste extends to tyres can also catch a glimpse of where the tyre world is heading. For example, observant onlookers admiring Jaguar’s C-XF concept vehicle at the Detroit show may notice that the spectacular mid-sized saloon does not just sit on any old rubber – the Jaguar’s large diameter wheels are complemented by 21-inch monsters from Pirelli.
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Volvo group commercial vehicles in Europe will be riding on Goodyear Dunlop tyres after the two companies recently signed a deal for the supply of OE tyres. The three-year agreement covers all European-manufactured Volvo trucks and buses and Renault trucks with rims 16” and larger. The tyres will be supplied from Goodyear Dunlop factories in Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Turkey.
UK operator Elite Transport is set to carry out an extensive trial of two types of Michelin tyres on its newly delivered fleet of fifteen Volvo FH480 6×2 tractor units. This decision has been made in light of findings after a single tractor unit was fitted with Michelin Energy tyres for a period of fourteen months.
Faversham-based Les Knight Transport Limited is one of the biggest container hauliers in the South East, running 23 tractor units and 15 tri-axle skeletal trailers on container work out of Dartford and Purfleet. It also provides a ‘traction only’ service pulling other people’s trailers, which accounts for 20 per cent of its activity. The trucks run throughout the UK with the occasional foray into mainland Europe and each covers around 140,000 kilometres a year.
The company invests heavily in its trucks, all of which are top-of-the-range models from MAN, Volvo, Scania and DAF and all under five years old. When you’re spending such serious money on trucks it’s important that you also do everything you can to ensure they operate as efficiently, economically and safely as possible and tyres play a big part in this.
Bartec Auto ID Ltd has acquired the tyre management business of Smartronics Ltd and is now supplying Michelin with the Smart-fleet system, used to manage Michelin’s “pence per kilometre” mileage contracts on over 10,000 buses in the UK. Bartec Auto ID Ltd already produces tyre pressure monitoring systems for the automotive industry, with an array of blue chip clients including Ford, Renault, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and many others. The latest acquisition is designed to enable Bartec to extend its scope to provide an enhanced service for managing fleet tyre maintenance across the commercial car, truck, bus and coach markets, according to the company.
Alcoa Wheel Products has a policy of contributing to the communities in which it operates and a good example is the company’s support of Action Cancer, Northern Ireland’s leading cancer charity, with the donation of a set of Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels. The charity recently made a substantial investment in a new high tech “state of the art” purpose built vehicle called Big Bus. This mobile unit was constructed by Browns Coach Works in Northern Ireland and is pulled by a new Volvo FH 400, the first Euro 5 in Europe. This unit was supported by Volvo GB and supplied by Volvo’s Northern Ireland dealer Dennison Commercials. Alcoa’s donation of Dura-Bright wheels will help keep the Big Bus looking good and easy to clean.
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire announced that it has signed two OE medium truck tyre deals – one with Mack and another with Volvo. Both deals kick in 1 October, and will see Bridgestone brand tyres come as standard equipment on all Mack and Volvo tractors.
The use of winter tyres for the cold season has become widespread among European users in the last few years. In the past winter, for instance, sales in Europe increased by almost eight per cent when compared to 2004. In keeping with this trend, Marangoni Tyre is further extending its Meteo HP range of winter tyres. Extremely safe, with high performance on all types of road surface and over an exceptionally wide range of operating temperatures, Meteo HP can be defined as the no-compromise winter tyre.
Inverness-shire-based Ferguson Transport has become one of the first operators in the UK to fit Michelin’s new XDN2 Grip tyres, which are said to offer increased traction in the wet and on hard packed snow and icy surfaces. Located at Spean Bridge, close to Fort William, Ferguson Transport operates a fleet of 40 tractor units and 100 trailers, and has fitted the new Michelin XDN2 Grip tyres on the drive axle of one of its 460 hp Volvo FH12 6×2 tractor units.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook’s Optimo H725 all-season touring tyre will be OE on the 2007 Ford Focus, Hankook Tire America Corp. announced. The tyre will be fitted in size P195/60R15. “This new Ford Focus application for our tyres is another major step forward in growing our brand position here in the U.S.,” said Bill Bainbridge, Hankook’s marketing director. “As more and more OE vehicle manufacturers select our brand with confidence, that will translate to driving more consumers to look for the Hankook brand when choosing replacement tyres.” Globally, Hankook supplies tyres to Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia, Volvo, GM and Mitsubishi, among others.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook’s Optimo H725 all-season touring tyre will be OE on the 2007 Ford Focus, Hankook Tire America Corp. announced. The tyre will be fitted in size P195/60R15.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook Tire America Corp. will have OE positions on several GM vehicles, including the Chevy Cobalt, Chevy Malibu, and the Pontiac G5 and G6. Hankook’s Optimo H725A all-season touring line will be on those vehicles in sizes P205/55R16H and P225/50R17S. Hankook said it invested two years in the development of the H725A, is OE on the Saturn Ion. Hankook also supplies tires to Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia, Volvo, and Mitsubishi, among others.
A Volvo FH12 4×2 tractor unit operated by Kent-based Laser Transport International reports to have clocked-up 630,000 kilometres on the same Michelin Energy drive-axle tyres, before they needed replacing. The tyres were fitted as original equipment when the Volvo was delivered new in February 2003, and have been replaced with a set of Michelin Energy RemiX tyres.
Commenting on the impressive performance, Jon Palmer, Fleet Engineer at Laser Transport International, explains: “We have only just fitted the RemiX tyres, and these should see the vehicle through its fourth and final year’s service on our fleet.
David Price Food Services Ltd is enjoying an average 27.8 per cent increase in mileage performance from each of the Michelin drive axle tyres on its fleet of 26 commercial vehicles by regrooving them in-line with Michelin’s recommendations. According to the manufacturer, the company fits new Michelin 295/80 R22.5 XZE 2+ and XDE2+ tyres as standard across its fleet, with each tyre regrooved by the local ATS Euromaster branch when the tread depth reaches two to three millimetres.
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