Winter Tyres
Porsche has treated the Panamera to a facelift, and the new model will be launched in July. Michelin continues in its role as tyre supplier – every Panamera will be fitted with Michelin tyres in all regions where the four-door Porsche is sold. In all, the French manufacturer is supplying the latest model with 12 sizes of summer, winter and all-season tyres.
A recently-issued report on the effect of winter on drivers says that a combination of more frequent and more extreme weather events will mean drivers having to change their habits and expectations.
A report for the RAC Foundation concludes that although councils and the Highways Agency responded well to the recent periods of snow and ice, changing weather patterns mean strategy will have to shift from one of trying to change the conditions to one of coping with them. One of the report's recommendations is for more advice for drivers on the benefits of fitting winter tyres.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has reported first quarter net sales of 127.7 billion yen a 5.6 per cent decline compared with the same period in the previous year. Operating income was worse, down 18.1 per cent, to 7.6 billion yen. Meanwhile net income was down 35.7 per cent to 5.6 billion yen. According to the company, the downturn in sales and earnings resulted chiefly from weakening sales of tyres in the Japanese original equipment market and in Yokohama's principal markets overseas.
Run-flat tyres have often been blasted for the inferior comfort they deliver, however a recent European test gives hope that puncture avoidance may no longer equal a harsh ride. German motoring organisation ADAC and Austria’s ÖAMTC put four Bridgestone run-flats to the test, and found one to offer comparable ride comfort and fuel consumption to an equivalent standard tyre.
When Tyres & Accessories spoke with Deldo’s Rutger Veerman in the last week of March, he and several colleagues from the Belgium-based wholesaler had just returned from the Tyrexpo Asia show in Singapore. In addition to praising the exhibition as “the best show in Asia”, Veerman shared that Deldo’s presence at Tyrexpo Asia was important as Asia represents a region that is increasingly important for the company.
The latest in a succession of leaders at Tyre Fort in Birmingham, Erich Fric brings with him an easy-going, but teutonic clarity into his (relatively) new role of Goodyear Dunlop UK managing director. Almost a year after news of the appointment was released, Tyres & Accessories visited the company headquarters in mid-April for the MD’s first published interview in his current role where he shared his views on the British tyre market and recent corporate criticism of the companies EMEA region.
Despite significant drops in first quarter sales and profitability, Nokian used the publication of its latest financial results as an opportunity to rebuff negativity relating to its exposure to the Russian market. In the first quarter of 2013 Nokian Tyres Group’s net sales decreased by 13.3 per cent to 333.1 million euros (1Q 2012: 384.3 million euros). Operating profit fell even more sharply, dropping 27 per cent to 76.3 million (1Q 2012: 105 million euros).
The tyre manufacturer blamed historically low levels of tyre demand in Europe, but also presented the case that demand for replacement car tyres in 2013 will be on previous year’s level in Nordic countries even if it does remain weak in Europe.
The 29-person international jury presiding over this year’s Vehicle Dynamics Innovation Awards have named Continental’s new weather-independent AIBA tyre testing facility winner of the awards’ “Development Tool of the Year” category.
A common theme while talking with wholesalers this year has been the need for flexibility. Various companies are approaching this in different ways, and Danish wholesaler Nordisk Dæk Import, better known as NDI, has chosen a path not yet taken by any other European wholesaler. In order to offer customers the double advantage of flexible ordering and competitive prices, the company has established a new warehouse in Qingdao, China, near where its Nordexx private brand is manufactured. From this warehouse, NDI will directly supply Nordexx-brand and other products to its European and international customers; in early March the first shipment of Nordexx tyres arrived in the new Qingdao warehouse, and by April the full Nordexx range was in stock.
Reporting on the past winter, ATS Euromaster group sales director Peter Fairlie says the fast-fit network ordered significantly more winter tyres than a year earlier.
Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone concluded an investment contract with Mitsubishi Corporation, the Ulyanovsk Oblast government and the Ulyanovsk Region Development Corporation on 12 April. Under the agreement, Bridgestone and Mitsubishi will respectively hold 90 and 10 per cent equity ownership in a new tyre manufacturing company, Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing C.I.S. LLC (BMCIS).
The UK tyre industry has been taking deliberate steps to develop its fledgling winter tyre market for more almost a decade. Over the years improvements have accelerated with the passing of time. Now, new research produced by market analysts GfK suggest sales are accelerating faster than ever.
The link between Continental’s sponsorship of top level footballing events such as the UEFA Champions League and Euro 2012 and its tyre business was made explicit during the latter of these events. In Poland Coaches for players and fans were fitted with Conti’s HSR2 tyre and a specially modified HSU1 respectively by the Conti360⁰ network. Public transportation and its role in Europe remained high on Conti’s agenda moving into 2013 as the manufacturer introduced the first commercial vehicle tyres of its “third generation”: a three product speciality coach tyre line-up. Once again, Conti chose to introduce these products alongside its football sponsorship at St George’s Park in rural Staffordshire, the English Football Association’s new training and development site of which Conti is an official supporter, its branding displayed in various places around the impressive state of the art facility.
Nokian Tyres has released its 2012 annual report, and the Finnish manufacturer reports a 10.7 growth in net sales to 1.61 billion euros, 9.2 per cent rise in operating profit to 415.0 million euros and a 7.1 per cent increase in profit to 330.9 million euros. Russia proved a regional strength during the year and demand for Nokian’s passenger car tyres increased there, while demand “decreased clearly” in Central Europe. Combined output of the company’s plants in Nokia, Finland and Vsevolozhsk, Russia in 2012 was 15.7 million tyres, and the annualised capacity at year-end was 18 million pieces.
In developing its latest tyre for Nordic winter conditions, Bridgestone says it aimed to meet the challenge posed by increasingly strict environmental regulations on tyre studs. The all-new Blizzak SPIKE-01 replaces the Noranza 2 EVO and features studs that incorporate a “square-shouldered, round pin with revolutionary cross-edge to maximise edge and scratch effect while minimising road wear and associated dust pollution.” According to the tyre maker, preliminary internal tests already reveal the superiority of the Blizzak SPIKE-01 stud’s multi-directional biting effect on ice and snow and its retention rate over the lifecycle of the stud and tyre compared to on the predecessor tyre. Side-by-side tests of the new and previous generation tyres conducted in Sweden using size 205/55 R16 tyres fitted on a VW GOLF 2.0tdi also showed a 20 per cent better performance on ice and five per cent better performance on snow for the Blizzak SPIKE-01.
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