A survey commissioned by Continental Tyres has revealed the dangers of buying second-hand tyres on eBay. The company sampled van tyres offered for sale on the internet site, and found that the vast majority were either poorly marked or potentially dangerous.

Having purchased the tyres, they were inspected by Continental’s technical tyre consultants, who found that the tyres did not comply with current EU tyre regulations. The consultants reported that none of the tyres were labeled as part worn, and 73 percent were potentially dangerous. In addition 27 percent were totally unroadworthy.

Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, welcomed the survey saying, “Once again Continental has pinpointed a serious situation with regard to tyre safety”. Continental’s General Manager Technical Services, Roger Sanders, commented: “Our objective in conducting these tests is to highlight the potential dangers of purchasing second hand tyres from the internet and the findings are worrying. We feel that much more needs to be done to educate both the buyers and sellers of these tyres on the legal requirements for part worn tyres, so that we can avoid situations where road users are putting themselves and others at risk”.

Plimsoll Publishing has issued a report outlining the parlous state of the tyre industry. They report that the industry is being hit by zero growth, falling profits and rising debts. All of which could lead to company failures or acquisitions over the coming months.

According to Plimsoll, 34 companies are rated as being in danger. Most of these companies are running at a loss and are taking on unmanageable debt in order to cover costs. David Pattison senior analyst at Plimsoll stressed that these companies (those rated danger) must put immediate plans in place to start to trade their way out of their problems. Cutting costs, jobs and even turning unprofitable work away- stringent measures must be put in place before it’s too late. Currently the owners are sitting on an ‘unsellable’ asset and are woefully exposed to acquirers who are ready to snap them up for next to nothing.”

The report will be of particular concern to the national chains who, as revealed in another report, are currently some 33 percent more expensive than their on-line rivals.

Sales of run-flat tyres appear to be increasing rapidly. Bridgestone Tyres announced the sale of it 10 millionth run-flat in April of this year.

Bridgestone introduced run-flats in the early 1980’s. The first tyres were designed for use on vehicles for physically disabled people, and the tyres were not fitted to production vehicles until 1987. Sales have increased since 1999 as the tyres became the standard fit on a number of vehicles, and the company sold tyre number 5 million in 2006. This sales figure has now been doubled in less than two years.

Run-flat tyres are a strategic product for Bridgestone, and the company points to their environmental benefits. Run-flats reduce fuel consumption and rubber consumption. Bridgestone is confident that the run-flat market will continue to grow in the next few years, and the company is determined to develop its position as a leader in this sector of the market.

The European Commission has introduced a new range of safety and environmental requirements designed to improve road safety while lessening the environmental impact of motoring.

As from 2012 Low Rolling Resistance tyres will become obligatory. At the same time new, stringent safety requirements are to be introduced. Amongst the basket of new requirements is the decision to make Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems obligatory. This will impact on both the safety and environmental aspects of motoring. Under-inflated tyres can cause a 4 percent increase in fuel consumption and reduce a tyres lifespan by up to 45 percent. The use of Low Rolling Resistance tyres has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by a further 3 percent. With fuel prices rising inexorably, this should be a welcome development for all motorists.

European Commission vice-president Gunter Verheugen said: “We are simplifying legislation. We are improving road safety. We are promoting fuel efficiency. We are presenting a modern integrated policy approach beneficiary for citizens, for the environment and the industry.”

Kumho Tyres launched its latest eco-friendly tyre, the Solus KH19, at the recent Reifen Essen show.

The flagship tyre is based on the company’s latest technologies including tyre contour optimization and tyre-terrain interaction analysis. The Solus KH19 offers a 35 percent improvement in rolling-resistance and a decrease in CO2 emissions of 6 percent. The tyre is produced using eco-friendly materials such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and it boasts a “nature based” tread pattern designed to provide a smoother ride.

According to Sae-chul Oh, CEO and president of Kumho Tires, “This is a milestone year for Kumho as we strengthen our focus on making greener products. These new tyres improve fuel efficiency, lower CO2 emissions and run more quietly. We have also re-engineered our manufacturing process to make it more environmentally friendly. Kumho has taken this leading role in environmental issues because it allows us to provide tangible benefits to our customers, while simultaneously helping the planet.”

The new tyre will be available in the autumn.

Rising petrol prices have triggered off an increase in “drive aways”, with motorists pulling away from forecourts without paying for their petrol. These thefts cost the industry over £11 million in 2006, but this figure has risen over the past few months.

In an attempt to overcome the problem many petrol stations have installed “stingers” on their forecourts. These stingers are retractable spikes that puncture the tyres of would-be drive aways. However, the increasing use of run-flat tyres has rendered stingers ineffective. Now, a Birmingham company has come up with a solution to the problem posed by run-flat tyres. The company, Drivestop, has developed a system that injects a microchip into the tyre, which can then be traced by police.

The system was invented by Jaginder Singh Mudhar in response to increasing drive aways from his father’s petrol station. He has installed 10 systems so far, but expects increasing interest as the incidence of petrol theft increase. The system costs £10,000 to install, but rising petrol costs will make the system increasingly cost-effective.

Following their successful sponsorship of the 2006 World Cup, Continental Tyres has announced that it is to sponsor the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The German tyre giant has acquired the worldwide rights to promote the football tournament, which is the largest sporting event in the world. Tim Bailey, advertising and sponsorship manager for Continental, commented, “This sponsorship deal continues the marketing strategy we have been following since 1995 for all Continental tyre products and maintains our focus on football as a central communication platform for increasing brand awareness in our core markets over the next three years.”

Continental, who are also sponsoring this year’s European Championship, has the option to continue its involvement through to the 2014 World Cup, in Brazil. Sepp Blatter, FIFA President stated, “Continental has been an active supporter of football for many years. It is a big advantage for all those involved in the event to have such prestigious global partners on board, underlining the confidence of leading blue-chip companies in the first African World Cup. We look forward to a close and fruitful relationship on our joint path towards the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”

Eurowasre Recycling Plc, of Stratford on Avon, were fined £63,000 at Rugby Magistrates’ Court last week. The company was charged, under the Environmental Protection Act, with keeping waste tyres without the correct documentation, failure to supply waste transfer notes and failing to remove waste.

Investigations by the Environment Agency revealed that in the four months prior to September 2006 the company had deposited 1300 tonnes of shredded tyres at its site at Long Marston Airfield.

Deborah Jones, an Environment Agency Officer involved in the investigation said: ?During the investigation, Eurowaste Recycling Plc ignored our guidance to apply for a waste management licence. The company has avoided the cost of applying for a waste management licence as well as substantial disposal costs to remove the tyres from the site.”

A team of four students from Cambridge University are set to undertake the first ever solar-powered journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The students, members of Cambridge University Eco Racing team, are making the trip to highlight environmental issues and sustainable technology.

The solar car, Affinity, has been given special dispensation to drive on public roads as a prototype vehicle. It is capable of speeds up to 60mph, and will use low rolling resistance Michelin M45 motorcycle tyres. The students will stop at schools along the route to display the vehicle and discuss environmental issues with school children and other members of the public.

Team captain Martin McBrien said: “Designing and building the car has been an exhilarating experience for all involved, with the many ups and downs, late nights, and breakthrough moments making the whole project worthwhile. Sustainable transportation is no longer an issue for the future, but for today. With oil at $135 a barrel, proving that travelling on free energy from the sun is possible brings real hope.”

After the successful completion of the journey, the students plan to build a more sophisticated solar-powered vehicle to compete in the 2009 World Solar Challenge. This event has attracted 30 teams from around the world, and involves an 1850 mile race from Darwin to Adelaide.

Bridgestone Tyres has announced price increases on all of its tyres in all European markets. The UK will be most heavily affected, with price increases between 8 and 12 percent compared to 5 to 8 percent in the rest of Europe.

The increase is due to the rising prices of all raw materials, and the UK will be hardest hit due to the continued weakness of sterling. Gerry Duffy, vice president Sales & Marketing of Bridgestone Europe, explained the price rises, saying, “The recent increase in the cost of commodities such as oil, natural rubber, iron ore and others heavily affects the costs of almost all the raw materials we consume. As its financial impact is so huge and hard to offset only by our internal efforts, we have to recover some of those costs by this price increase.”