Winter Tyres
In its annual winter tyre performance survey, German motoring publication AutoBild narrows a wide field of 49 winter tyres and two all-season tyres with wet and snow braking measurements before conducting a full test of a range of characteristics. 19 tyres made it through to the 2015/16 season test, conducted using the tyre size 185/60 R15.
Millbrook, the well-known vehicle test, validation and engineering service provider, signed a contract to acquire specialist winter test centre Test World on 14 September. No price-tag has been publically released.
When it comes to testing a vehicle or tyre’s winter aptitude, few places in the world better are suited to the job than the Finnish village of Ivalo, some 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The average daily temperature struggles to rise above -10⁰C in the dark months of January and February, and for half the year the white stuff beloved by skiers is abundantly present. No surprise then that Test World, the internationally-renown vehicle and tyre tester and type approval centre, chose to set up shop just outside Ivalo. But what does Test World do in summer, when its ice and snow circle turns into a massive birdbath? It moves winter indoors.
Heuver Tyrewholesale says that many companies normally only think about winter tyres in October. In the past, this would have been too late to guarantee availability. However, Heuver has boosted the number of Aeolus ASW80 (steer axle) and ADW80 (drive axle) winter tyres that it holds in stock. As a result, once customers place an order, they will normally receive their tyres the next day, thanks to ample stocks at Heuver’s distribution centres in the Netherlands, Germany and France.
Introduced for the upcoming winter season, Cooper Tire Europe’s WM winter van tyre is now available in a wide range of sizes. Sarah McRoberts, European marketing communications manager for Cooper, said, “With what could be an extreme winter for us in Britain, it is important to ensure that one of our flagship products is made available to as many van and car owners as possible, across the Cooper Tire WeatherMaster range.
DAF has become the first truck manufacturer to approve Goodyear’s brand new Ultra Grip Max winter tyres as a factory-fitted option. Operators ordering new DAF trucks built from week 41 onwards and destined for service in severe winter conditions can now specify Ultra Grip Max S steer axle tyres and Ultra Grip Max D drive axle tyres in sizes 315/70R22.5 and 315/80R22.5.
Falken has made its latest tyre developed with its 4D Nano Design process available across the Nordic region. The Espia EPZ2 M+S and Snow Flake marked passenger car and SUV tyre offers 25 per cent better braking on ice and 10 per cent improvement in acceleration against its previous EPZ1 pattern. Wet braking performance is also increased by 10 per cent over the previous EPZ2 tyre.
Nokian has released the new NTR 74S, which is designed for “safe travel under all weather conditions, all year round”. The tyre is optimised for use on main roads and it is primarily intended for trailers, but it is also said to be suitable for use on the steer axle. The Nokian NTR 74S is 3PMSF approved and is aimed at use on the varying conditions of the Nordic countries, Central Europe and Russia.
Launched internationally in Sicily at the beginning of 2015, Pirelli hosted a local UK market event to mark the introduction of its Cinturato All Season tyre at the Tamworth Snowdome. Closed to the public, the Snowdome’s indoor ski slope provided an excellent illustration of the increased mobility offered by the tyre; it allowed the demonstration Vauxhall Astra to ascend the steep inclines, which were rendered completely unmanageable when equipped with summer tyres. Meanwhile, Pirelli used warm outside conditions to demonstrate the tyre in dry and wet manoeuvres, particularly emphasising safety with a wet brake and swerve workshop.
Kumho’s recent refreshment of its PCR, van and LCV summer range and return to the truck tyre market have been joined by a recently updated winter tyre range. Arguing that UK drivers are “far better educated in the values of winter and all-weather tyres than before the big freeze of 2011,” Kumho’s 2015-16 cold-weather range recognises that demand for such products continues to rise across the board.
Dunlop will launch the latest iteration of its winter tyre series, the Winter Sport 5, with a full range of sizes available by September 2015. The tyre, which is designed to build on the award-winning success of its latest Winter Sport 4D, is the fifth addition to the line that offers the grip and performance to combat a variety of winter surfaces, including wet, icy and snow-covered roads.
Continental will reach an important milestone in its research project for the industrialisation of dandelion rubber in tyre production when it tests its first WinterContact TS 850 P with a Taraxagum based tread at its Swedish testing facility. Continental unveiled its first test tyres made from the raw material (the botanical name for dandelion is taraxacum) in a limited series last autumn. The use of the material in its WinterContact TS 850 P takes Continental “an important step closer” to its long-term sustainability goals, reducing its dependence on traditional raw materials.
In the coming months the Aeolus tyre range for the European market will expand to include further cold weather products. Aeolus Tyre reports that the first addition to its winter range is currently being evaluated for the TÜV Tire Test Mark; the products have already undergone initial testing by TÜV SÜD and the results have been favourable, and if “weather conditions play out as projected” tests for this quality seal of approval will be completed before the end of this year.
Apollo has commented on the recent positive results achieved by its Alnac 4G All Season tyre in the recent Auto Bild Allrad test. The tyre was ranked first in the mass premium category (second overall), offering superior performance and value for money.
UltraGrip is the family name given to Goodyear’s winter tyre portfolio, and so far a total of 60 million UltraGrip tyres have been sold since the moniker first graced a sidewall. This year sees the introduction of a successor to the UltraGrip 8 Performance winter tyre – the UltraGrip Performance Gen-1. Shipments to retailers began in June 2015.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.