According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) November saw new-car sales reach an all-time low. The motor trade seems to be faring particularly badly in the current economic crisis. A total of 100,333 vehicles were sold during the last month a fall of 36.8 percent on last year’s figures. There has also been a fall in the year-on-year sales figures. Sales in the year to November stood at 2,023,104 vehicles, a decline of 10.7 percent on the figures for 2007.

The SMMT feel that sales may have been hit by motorists delaying their purchases until the VAT reductions came into force. They are predicting that total sales for 2008 will reach 2.1 million vehicles, compared to 2.4 million in 2007.

The UK’s motor traders are not alone in witnessing falling sales. Spain saw a drop in sales of 49.6 percent during November. Sales in Sweden declined by 36 percent, and Germany saw a decline of 17.6 percent.

When all in the motor trade seems to be gloom and doom, we at etyres are pleased to say that some sectors are holding up. Tony Bowman of etyres commented that the credit crunch is making people look for value, and that is leading them to buying tyres online. “We are seeing growth in sales, and a steady increase in new franchises as people look for value”, said Bowman, adding, “We have a rolling order for new vans as new franchises come online. So at least we’re doing our bit to boost vehicle sales”. 

There seems to be no end to the environmentally friendly uses for old tyres. Paul Punshon, from Gravenhurst, Ontario is planning to build his new house out of recycled tyres. Not only will the house be eco-friendly, it will also be cheap. People have paid Mr Punshon to take away their old tyres, and he has would-be workers queuing  up to work with him. He told local press, “We are getting e-mails from all over Canada, the East Coast, (and) West Coast that say they will work for free, they just want to learn how to do it”.

Once the tyres have been stacked, they will be covered in concrete, and the rest of house will be made from recycled objects. Mr Punshon is aiming to make his new residence self-sufficient, and he explained that the tyres will have an impact here, “Tyres absorb the heat all day long, then release it at night as it gets cooler on the outside”.

Hankook Tyres have announced that next year they will take over as main sponsors of the MSA Scottish Rally Championship. The tyre producers will take over the sponsorship of the eight-round championship in 2009, replacing the County Saab motor group as main benefactors of the rally.

The full financial package has not yet been revealed, but it is thought to include a fully supported Group N Championship and a junior training scheme with the prize of a funded drive in a major European or Far East rally.

Mike Patterson, Hankook’s motorsport manager, said, “We are delighted to be focusing our attention in 2009 on the Scottish Rally Championship. The series attracts some intense competition and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the organising team has been instrumental in finalising this deal”.

Campbell Roy, chairman of the Scottish Rally Championship, was equally pleased. He said, “We are delighted to have concluded this groundbreaking deal with such a high-profile international company. Hankook brings a wealth of motorsport experience to the SRC and will undoubtedly assist us in further raising the profile of the sport in Scotland.”

Goodyear has been working with NASA to recreate the tyres used on the original Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle. The replication of the 1970’s tyres was described by the tyre manufacturers as “one small step backward to make one giant leap forward”. The wire-mesh tyres will improve the company’s understanding of non-pneumatic tyre technology. This knowledge will be helpful in the future for use on the moon and here on earth.

There was very little information on record regarding the production of the earlier tyres. The team of engineers studied one of the original tyres, currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. The tyre consists of four elements, mesh – woven from piano wire, tread, inner frame and hub. Once they were finished, the twelve tyres were tested for geometry, stiffness and performance elements. This data was then compared with information drawn from the remaining original tyres. According to Vivake Asnani, NASA’s principal investigator, “The measurements indicate that the original and replicate wire mesh moon tyres have nearly identical mechanical properties. We are now testing the replicates to determine their traction and endurance capabilities. These data will enable NASA and industry to determine possible applications for the wire mesh tyre”. He continued, “There was great synergy in this project, and we are continuing our collaboration to mature this technology”.

The elements learned during the project will have uses in tyre production for earthbound transport, but will also be applied in the production of second generation tyres on future lunar vehicles.

Tyre manufacturers Michelin have joined forces with a Chinese battery manufacturer to produce power systems for electric vehicles. The companies will combine Michelin’s active wheel system and Guoan Mengguli’s (MGL) lithium ion batteries to produce a vehicle capable of traveling at speeds up to 87 mph. The power system is to be fitted to a small Chinese car, called the Lifan 520, which will be able to travel up to 80 miles before it requires recharging. Recharging takes four hours and the battery can be recharges 1,000 times. Mr Qi Lu, general manager at MGL says, “The electric power train system with Michelin’s active wheels can be supplied to automakers in China by the year end”. He claims that by 2009 the company could be supplying power to 18,000 electric cars.

Bridgestone UK has come to the aid of a school in Cheshire, delivering an environmentally friendly method for constructing a new playground and basketball court. The new play area is constructed from recycled truck tyres. The granular rubber surface is perfect for sports usage. It has natural give and is porous and safe.

Mr Hyde, headmaster at the Forest School near Altrincham said, “Everybody is delighted with the new playground. We spoke to Greg Ward from Bridgestone, who looked to provide us with a new eco solution for our new playground. The end result is fantastic parents, teachers and kids are all delighted with the new playground. Because of its porous structure, we no longer have puddles all over the playground. And it’s soft enough to protect the children when they fall. We’re extremely pleased that Bridgestone assisted us on this eco project”.

Michelin has been using its “Fill up with Air” roadshow to highlight the importance of keeping tyres properly inflated. Keeping tyres at the correct pressure has implications for safety, fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Michelin have traveled the country offering free advice and tyre checks. Their tyre checks have revealed one worrying statistic. They have discovered that more than 60 percent of motorists are driving on tyres with incorrect pressure, and 35 percent are using tyres that are dangerously under-inflated.

In fact this represents an improvement on last year’s figures, which revealed that 80 percent of drivers were guilty of tyre negligence. Michelin stress that motorists need to heed the “Fill up with Air” message. Under-inflated tyres increase the risk of aqua-planing and reduce handling precision. Under-inflated tyres have greater rolling resistance, overcoming this increases fuel consumption, tyre wear and CO2 emissions.

Peter Snelling, head of communications at Michelin, underlined the heightened importance of the campaign in the current economic climate, saying, “The Michelin message to Fill up with Air needs to get through. With petrol prices hurting everyone and the overall cost of motoring rising, it makes so much sense to regularly attend to this very simple maintenance job. Checking and correcting tyre pressures once a month and before long journeys can save lives as well as money”.

A report by the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) has revealed that the European Union is now the third largest importer of natural and synthetic tyre rubber. The EU buys 14 percent of the world’s natural rubber and 20 percent of global synthetic rubber production. The main use for imported rubber is tyre production, which accounts for approximately 75 percent of all rubber imports.

According to the IRSG imports into the EU have only increased by 1.7 percent in the last three years. However, they predict considerable increases in the future. This is confirmed by the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association, who predict that demand for natural rubber will double by 2035, and that imports of synthetic rubber will increase by 80 percent in the same period.

The final stage of the World Rally Championship is under way in Wales. Pirelli, who supply the control tyres for the event, are offering motorists in South Wales free tyre pressure checks until the 13th December.

Lower interest rates, tax cuts and lower VAT are all part of the Chancellor’s plan to kick start the economy. As the economy shrinks and competition gets tougher retail prices are constantly being shaved. How will all of this affect the price you pay for your tyres? Tyre prices have risen consistently over the last six years. This is largely due to increases in fuel and raw material costs. However, there are now signs that the economic slowdown is impacting on the tyre industry.

Lessening demand has now pushed natural rubber prices to a three year low, and this fact should be reflected on the tyre market. According to analysts Morgan Stanley, price cuts are already evident. However, thus far price reductions have taken the form of special ”four for the price of three” offers. Morgan Stanley predicts that during the next twelve months there will be more subtle, permanent price reductions.

This does seem to be the general trend. Encircle Marketing has monitored tyre prices for the year to the end of November. They compared 87,646 prices across 36 brands, and found that there were significant price reductions at the lower end and mid-price sectors. However, they found that many tyres at the top end of the market, especially run-on-flat tyres, were actually becoming more expensive.

Here at etyres we are seeing considerable growth in sales as customers look for the better value that is offered by buying on-line.