Six new sizes have been added to Yokohama Tire’s Advan high performance range in the US. The Neova AD08 line-up has received three fitments, sizes 245/40R19 94W, 265/35R19 94W and 275/35R19 96W, and the S.4 range has also received three new fitments, namely sizes 255/50R19 107W, 275/45R19 108W and 275/40R20 106W.
Yokohama has been promoting its ‘Zenvironment’ concept – the reduction of global emissions through tyres that last longer, are retreadable and can be recycled – in Europe since 2008. The current range includes the 104ZR steer axle and 901ZS winter steer axle fitments, and at the upcoming IAA commercial vehicle show in Hannover, Germany, the company intends to extend its Zenvironment portfolio. New additions to be shown in Hannover include the prototype 106ZS steer axle tyre and 107ZL steer axle tyre for long-haul operations.
Yokohama Tire Corp. has launched SmartSolution, a new communication and promotion push targeting commercial tyre dealers, fleet owners and truck operators in the USA, reports Tire Review. “Now more than ever, fleet owners and truck operators are faced with the pressure of effectively managing tyres as assets in their business,” said John Cooney, Yokohama director of commercial sales.
Orange may well be the new green, at least when it comes to reducing dependency on petroleum resources. This is the message Yokohama Tire Corporation’s director of technical services Dan Guiney is bringing with him to the Tire Industry Association Environmental Symposium, scheduled to be held between September 30 and October 2 in the US state of Maryland. Guiney will discuss the technology involved in Yokohama’s utilisation of orange oil to create a passenger car tyre that is 80 per cent petroleum free.
“Yokohama is a leader in showing how to break free from conventional thinking in order to develop products that are environmentally friendly and cost-efficient. TIA is proud to be able to provide our Environmental Symposium attendees with such a world-class opportunity,” said TIA executive vice president Roy Littlefield.
Motorists in every country have their preferred method of choosing the right tyre for their vehicle; for us Brits the standard procedure is to stroll into a tyre dealer and ask for the cheapest tyre in the applicable size, while the Germans studiously peruse comparative tyre tests published in leading Automotive magazines. The Americans also like to get the facts, but this information often comes in the more relaxed format of tyre ‘tips’. Yokohama Tire is one such provider of tips for consumers on the hunt for the perfect black circle, and it has now released the third installment in a series of educational videos.
For those of us raised with a good working knowledge of the offside and LBW rules, American football can sometimes appear an unfathomable mystery. But there’s no denying it’s hugely popular on the other side of the Atlantic, and Yokohama Tire Corporation is keenly aware of this. In July the tyre maker signed a one-year sponsorship agreement with the Dallas Cowboys, and now it has added two more National Football League teams to its collection: the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.
(Tire Review) The Tire Industry Association (TIA) announced the recipients of the 2010 Tire Industry Hall of Fame: Gus Hawkinson, owner of Hawkinson Tire Consulting; Nick Hodel, former CEO of Portland Tire Factory; Russell MacCleery, a retired tyre industry veteran; Gary Nash, director of OTR Sales for Yokohama Tire Corp.; Jerry White, chairman of White Tire Supply; and Don Blythe, former executive director of the Western Canada Tire Dealers Association. The Hall of Fame inductions will take place as part of TIA’s Tire Industry Honors event, from 18-19:30 on 1 November at Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.
BMW has launched a specialist winter tyre swap programme designed to mirror the winter tyre hotels mostly found in continental Europe. The idea is that buying the package gets you two sets of tyres and alloys – one for summer and one for winter use – and the dealership stores the set you not using until the next changeover. By officially promoting winter tyres in this way, BMW UK becomes the first carmaker to offer an official service in this way. It is also the first time BMW have offered an official branded winter wheel and tyre package. The news follows renewed winter tyre activity in the UK that has seen ATS Euromaster order £3 million of the seasonal products and Yokohama launch a winter range here in recent months.
ATS Euromaster has placed advance orders for over £3 million worth of cold weather tyres, following strong interest from UK car and van fleets. The decision to raise its winter inventory with more of Michelin’s Pilot Alpin PCRs and Agilis Alpin van tyres comes amidst claims that the upcoming winter will yield greater demand for the seasonal product. The tyre specialist announced its plans to roll-out a cold weather tyre programme in April, and Steve Bury, Head of National Car at the fast-fit specialist, says the company has been quick to set-up the infrastructure and IT systems required to support the planned introduction this October.
The latest generation Porsche Cayenne went on sale at the end of May, and Yokohama Rubber reports its Advan Sport has been approved by Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG as an original equipment tyre on the luxury 4×4. The Advan Sport will be supplied in sizes 275/45R20 110Y XL and 295/35R21 107Y XL. Versions of the Advan Sport destined for the Cayenne were jointly developed by Porsche and Yokohama Rubber and bear "N-0" and "N-1" markings on the sidewalls indicating Porsche's approval. This latest homologation joins OE approvals for the Porsche 911 Carrera 4, Audi S8 and Bentley Continental as well as various models from Mercedes-AMG.
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has posted net income of 1.6 billion yen (£11.775 million; 14.160 million euros; US$18.455 million) in the first quarter compared with a net loss of 1.8 billion yen in the same period of the previous fiscal year. That result is for the three months from April to June, the first quarter of the company’s fiscal 2011 (1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011). Yokohama's net sales climbed 23.4 per cent over the same quarter of the previous fiscal year, to 117.4 billion yen.
The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres, Yokohama HPT Ltd, has announced it will supply the market with a selection of the company’s W.drive winter tyres; this is the first time Yokohama winter tyres have been available here. Adopted by manufacturers such as Audi, Bentley, Lotus and Mercedes AMG as winter options and recommended by motoring organisations around Europe, the W.drive range is designed to provide grip and safety on snow and ice and allow drivers to maintain control in all conditions.
Visitors to the Dallas Cowboy’s recently completed 280,000 square metre Cowboys Stadium will bask in Yokohama Tire’s corporate presence following the signing of a one-year sponsorship agreement between the club and tyre maker. The deal includes stadium, pre-game, post-game and in-game spots on the team’s flagship radio station; in-stadium displays and in-game announcements on the public address system and on LED boards. Yokohama Tire Corporation will also be able to take advantage of hospitality opportunities at select games, and the tyre maker will partner with the team on its travelling Dallas Cowboy Museum Tour truck, which goes to more than 100 events per year.
Yokohama Rubber has pledged its support for the Asia Cross Country Rally 2010, which will be held in Thailand between August 7 and 11. This is the tenth time the tyre maker has been involved with the FIA certified cross country rally, the largest in Asia, and Yokohama will provide its Geolandar tyres to all entrants in the newly established sports class category and award prizes to the winners in all categories. It will also support many drivers, including Takuma Aoki, who will participate in the T2-D class (non-converted commercial diesel) and Tadamitsu Niihori, the race’s overall winner on two previous occasions.
The Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association has welcomed its second new member in less than a month. Nordexx, the house brand name of Britain’s NDI Tyre & Tube Supplies and of Denmark’s Nordisk Daek Import A – S has been welcomed by ITMA director Peter Taylor, who described NDI’s joining as further validation of the services ITMA provide to its members in what are very challenging times.
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