Further evidence of the impact of the credit crunch was apparent when the new car sales figures for August revealed that the number of new car registrations had dropped by 18.6 percent. The figure for August is the smallest since 1966.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of SMMT, commented on the figures, saying, “August is one of the quietest months for the new car market, but this year it was the lowest since 1966 with only 63,225 registrations.”

These figures reflect the parlous state of the car market and, following in the wake of Toyota’s announcement last week that they were cutting production at their Burnaston plant, it is an indication of tough times ahead for the motoring industry.

A break-down of the registration figures indicates that economy is on the minds of those people purchasing new cars. Sales in the mini sector doubled during August, and sales of diesel cars grew, accounting for 43.2 percent of the car market this year.

The cost of motoring looks set to increase still further. The Independent Battery Distributors Association has warned that battery prices are set to rise. This is largely due to increases in the cost of raw materials. Due to world-wide demand, the price of lead is increasing dramatically. Lead accounts for 70 percent of battery costs, and any price increases their will significantly affect battery prices.

Increases in the price of battery acid and oil will also impact on the future price of batteries. The problem is compounded by the weakness of sterling, and increasing transport costs. It is hard to see any of these pressures easing in the coming months, so the IBDA predicts that prices must rise over the coming months.

Next month, October, is tyre safety month, and everyone in the motor trade is being encouraged to highlight how important tyre pressure is to road safety. Both over and under-inflated tyres can be dangerous, and motorists are to be encouraged to take advantage of free tyre checks which will be on offer at locations around the country. The event is being organized by TyreSafe, who are enlisting support from tyre dealers and garages nationwide.

The Pirelli P Zero beat off 15 competitors to take top spot in the recent Auto Express tyre test. The magazine holds the test annually, and grades the tyre according to several criteria. They test the performance of the tyres in key areas, such as dry handling, wet handling, aquaplaning, braking in wet and dry conditions and rolling resistance.

The Pirelli P Zero came first in the wet tests, prompting Auto Express to say, “None of our contenders inspired as much confidence as the Pirelli, which felt spot-on as soon as we turned into the corner. Grip was plentiful too”. They also came out top in the dry handling test. Auto Express praised the tyre, saying, “What’s required for a strong performance in the wet normally counts against a tyre in dry conditions, and vice versa. But the Pirelli bucks the trend and, unlike most of its competitors here, is superb whatever the weather.”

It’s a depressing thought, but winter is just around the corner. Tyre manufacturers Firestone are gearing up for the arrival of inclement weather by launching a new winter tyre, the Winterhawk 2.

According to Firestone the new tyre offers improved performance and enhanced safety, as well as improved economy and comfort. The Winterhawk 2 is designed to deliver additional grip on snowy surfaces, while also improving handling in dry and wet conditions.

The company stresses that motorists shouldn’t wait until the snow arrives before changing to winter tyres. They recommend that tyres should be changed as soon as the temperature drops. They suggest that motorists should drive on winter tyres from October to Easter.

The Winterhawk 2 boasts a tread with fixed rolling resistance and numerous sipes and grip edges that give maximum grip in snow and ice. The tyre compound contains a high proportion of silica, which delivers high performance in both snowy and wet conditions.

Tread connectors in the tyre tread optimize stability, and aid braking in dry conditions. They also deliver improved mileage, resulting in greater fuel economy.

French tyre giant Michelin has announced that their tyre prices will rise by between three and five percent as from October. The company cites the rising price of raw materials, together with increased energy and transportation costs, as the cause of the price increase. Michelin increased the prices of its agricultural and earthmover tyres in August, and it was inevitable that passenger tyres would follow suit eventually.

The credit crunch is hitting the motor trade. According to The Times, car manufacturers Toyota are planning to cut car production for five months. Last year the Toyota facility at Burnaston, in Derbyshire, ranked as the second largest producer in the UK. They produced 277,000 cars, a figure only topped by Nissan?s Sunderland plant. Cut-backs will reduce their output by 15,000 cars over the next five months. The factory employs 3,800 permanent employees, and they have been told that their jobs are safe. The position of the 220 temporary employees is less secure, and some will definitely lose their jobs.

President of Toyota, Katsuaki Watanabe, said, “The business environment is rapidly becoming more difficult. Things remain very uncertain, not just in the US but in emerging countries and resource-rich nations as well. We cannot be optimistic now.”

Other major producers are monitoring the situation, according to The Times.

New tyre technology that will significantly improve fuel efficiency has been unveiled by ExxonMobil in the USA. The company has announced the launch of a new facility, on its site in Pensacola, Florida, which will concentrate on new tyre-material technology.

According to Art Sullivan, vice president of ExxonMobil Chemical Butyl Polymers Business, “Tyre inner liners made with the new material, Exxcore dynamically vulcanized alloy (DVA), achieve leading-edge air retention with less material. This reduces air loss between fillings and helps conserve energy and resources for future generations”.

Exxcore DVA delivers better fuel economy courtesy of improved retention of tyre pressure, coupled with lower rolling resistance. This could have a huge impact on fuel consumption and could further reduce CO2 emissions. As such, it is a further indication of the growing awareness, amongst tyre manufacturers, of the importance of developing green initiatives within the tyre industry.

The Yokohama Rubber Co, ExxonMobil’s development partner hopes to begin manufacturing the Exxcore DVA tyres later in the year.

We are regularly told that we are living in an ageing society. Much has been written about the impact that this will have on the pension and social service systems. It appears that this will also have an effect on the world of motoring.

Figures released by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation indicate that the number of elderly divers on the road will more than double over the next 7 years. Elizabeth Dainton, of the RACF, has explained that the older generation is increasingly active. The indications are that today’s pensioners will expect to remain mobile for longer than previous generations. According to Ms Dainton’s statistics, the number of male drivers over 80, holding a driving licence, will double by 2015. The number over 80 plus female drivers is set to increase by 3.4 times in the same period.

This burgeoning sector of the motoring world will throw out new challenges to the industry, and could have a major impact on the tyre industry. While these older motorists will be more active than their predecessors, but activities, such as tyre fitting may be beyond them. Mobile tyre fitting, as offered by etyres, will become increasingly important, and will serve a vital social purpose.

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important within the tyre industry. The majority of manufacturers are now producing low rolling resistance tyres with the aim of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Now a leading report suggests that the ecological impact could be further reduced through the use of recycled rubber in the tyre manufacturing process.

Recycled rubber has been used for some time, but its importance has been marginal. It seems that this might be about to change. Environmental and economic factors are making the use of recycled rubber an increasingly attractive proposition. In May business analyst Tamara Bekefi and Marc Epstein, of Rice University, published a paper entitled”The Value of Green Tyres to Company Profitability”. Their report suggests that the supply of rubber will not meet the needs of the tyre industry in coming years. They also point out that while rubber prices appear to have levelled off, after recent price rises of 40 percent, the upward trend may continue in the future. Demand for rubber will grow in the next few years as more and more cars are put on the road. Quite simply supply cannot match demand in the future.

Using ultra-fine recycled rubber powder saves both natural rubber and oil-based synthetic rubber. The addition of 10 percent recycled rubber to a new tyre would save about one gallon of oil per tyre. This would amount to a saving of about half a billion gallons of oil per year.

The utilisation of recycled rubber in tyre production also has benefits for low rolling resistance tyres. According to a study by the Georgia Institute of Technology, recycled rubber reduces some rolling resistance elements by as much as 15 percent, and delivers a 19 percent improvement in air retention. Both of these factors serve to improve fuel consumption.

It appears that the only reason that recycled rubber is not more widely used is that it has an image problem. The perception of the major tyre manufacturers is that motorists will be put off by the idea of driving on recycled tyres. However, as awareness of green issues increases it seems likely that many motorists would welcome the greener option, particularly if it doesn’t hit them in the wallet.