By Denna Bowman

A new tyres labelling regulation has been approved by the European Parliament today to help drivers choose the most efficient and quietest tyres.

The legislation means that from 1st November 2012 the fuel efficiency, wet grip and external “rolling noise” levels of tyres must be displayed by manufacturers according to a grading system.

The tyre label will uses classes similar to the European energy label used for household appliances, such as fridges and freezers. They will range from best-performance (green “A” class) to worst (red “G” class) to help EU consumers judge the fuel efficiency. The information must also be provided on promotional material, including websites.

The European Commission says the move could mean fuel savings equivalent to 6.6 million tonnes of oil across Europe by 2020 – more than the annual oil consumption of a country such as Hungary.

The CO2 savings from cars and commercial vehicles combined is put at between 1.5 million tonnes and four million tonnes per year, depending on how quickly buyers respond by picking the most climate-friendly tyres available.

The most optimistic forecast for reduced emissions is about the same as removing 1.3 million cars from the road every year, say experts.

The only exemptions will be retread, racing and off-road professional tyres.

Snow is falling once again in the European ski resorts and the annual pilgrimages to the snow peaked pistes are set to get underway.

It is also time to remind British motorists who are driving off on their skiing holidays to check their car tyres to make sure they arrive safely.

Safe tyres can significantly reduce the risk of a car accident, because they will be able to tackle sub-zero weather conditions and cope with icy, snow-covered roads, according to tyres watchdog TyreSafe.

Heavily laden cars require a good level of tread depth and correct tyre pressure in order to maintain traction and deal with the perils of driving in snowy mountain regions.

A common mistake made by vehicle owners travelling abroad is not checking tyre pressure when the car is loaded up with luggage. This can dramatically affect the result of the air pressure test.

TyreSafe warns: “Many motorists neglect to adjust their tyre pressures to take account of heavy skiing equipment and extra passengers, which can lead to a build-up of heat inside the tyre as it strains to perform under the additional weight. This could eventually result in a blowout, putting themselves, passengers and other road users at risk.”

The tyre safety group also urges holidaymakers driving abroad to check legal requirements for tyres in their destination country – and those they are passing through - in order to avoid costly penalties or invalidating their insurance.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

A civic minded businessman in India is offering a discount on tyres – but only if they cast their vote in their general election.

Satnam Singh Gambhir came up with the ingenious idea of offering five per cent off tyres to customers who can prove they voted, because he wanted to promote the importance of being part of a democracy.

Gambhir, who owns a tyre depot in Jamshedpur, said: “The idea is not to earn quick bucks. Rather, this is a strategy to bring hordes of voters to polling booths. This will increase the voting percentage here.

“I wanted to come up with something that will hit voters hard and make them think. They must understand the fact that by not taking part in the democratic process of electing a representative they are harming themselves.”

It’s not apparently, a few years back when the country was facing an onion shortage and prices soared to impossible limits, he came up with an offer of 1kg onion free with every tyre bought from his depot.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Goodyear’s Assurance Fuel Max tyres have been added to a leading science and technology magazine’s “100 best Innovations of the Year” list.

The tyres are featured in the December issue of Popular Science’s “Best of What’s New” category for 2009 of products in the Automotive Technology section.

Steve McClellan, president of consumer tyres for Goodyear North America, said: “We are pleased to be honoured by the editors of Popular Science for the innovation represented in the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max.

“Our product development process follows a market-back path - learning what consumers want and then building tyres that deliver innovative benefits.

“Goodyear works hard to make sure the technology is relevant to the consumer’s wants. Honours such as this, and the complementing strong consumer demand for our tyres, confirm that direction.”

Mark Jannot, editor-in-chief of Popular Science, said, “The Best of What’s New” Award is the magazine’s top honour, and the 100 winners - chosen from among thousands of entrants - represent the highest level of achievement in their fields.

For 22 years, Popular Science has honoured the innovations that surprise and amaze us - those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future.”

The Fuel Max contains a proprietary tread compound “that helps reduce energy loss as the tyre rolls. It is available in 32 sizes, fitting more than 80% of the passenger tyre segment.

The recognition comes just days after it was announced that the Fuel Max been selected as original equipment fitments for the 2010 Toyota Prius.

By Alex Kapadia

Yokohama is today celebrating 40 years of trading in the US.

The Japanese tyres manufacturer opening its doors for the first time in Los Angeles on 24 November 1969 – it was also the first time the tyres giant had ventured overseas.

Four decades since it Forty years later, Yokohama is still touting its tyre technology and environmental consciousness.

Takao Oishi, CEO and President of Yokohama, said: “Consistent with the Grand Design 100 plan by our parent company, Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. in Japan, our philosophy in the U.S. is to embrace corporate social responsibility with a focus on a triple bottom line.

“This triple bottom line consists of the economy, society and the environment. Specific to environmental stewardship, we are affecting positive changes in our manufacturing processes, materials and product performance.

“Our overall corporate goal is to deliver the best products at competitive prices and on time while minimising impact to our planet.

“Performance is in the DNA of Yokohama’s heritage. In the US and abroad, Yokohama is recognised for its ultra high-performance tyres, especially the iconic Advan brand, which YTC began selling in the US in 2005. YTC launched its newest member of the Advan family, the Neova AD08, in May 2009.

“Our Advan line and other performance tyres have been one of the keys to our success in the US. We are celebrating 40 successful years here and we have never compromised on performance and never will. Our customers demand it.”

Congratulations to everyone at TyreSafe, the UKs leading tyres safety organisation, for receiving a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.

It was given in recognition of the groups achievements in raising awareness about the dangers associated with defective and worn tyres.

The Award comes just weeks after the end of Octobers successful Tyre Safety Month, which TyreSafe organises to drive home the message about making sure our tyres are safe and legal.

TyreSafe is now in its third year and since its inception has helped reduce the number of deaths on the UK’s roads from tyre related accidents, as reported by the Department for Transport, from 44 in 2006, to 34 in 2008.

The number of reported casualties from accidents where illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor has also reduced significantly from 1580 in 2006 to 894 in 2008.

Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “It’s a fantastic honour to have been awarded this distinguished accolade.

“Despite being just three years old, the activities of TyreSafe really demonstrate what can be achieved when an industry rallies together.

“We continue to spread our messages about tyre safety to a wider audience in an increasingly engaging manner and we hope these efforts will result in an even greater reduction of tyre related accidents.”

The Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards have been presented to individuals, companies or organisations since 1987 in recognition of their outstanding contribution to improving road safety.

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

By Denna Bowman

New laws to improve the fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise performance of tyres look set to be passed into law by the EU this week.

The regulation, which will lead to the classification and labelling of all tyres from 1st November 2012, was unanimously backed by Industry Committee MEPS on Monday evening and is scheduled for a final plenary vote tomorrow.

Its introduction will mean that tyres will be subject to labelling similar to that required for household appliances, such as fridges and freezers.

“The new labelling system is a straightforward measure with great advantages for the environment and consumers”, said rapporteur Ivo Belet (EPP, BE) in October, adding that the cost to manufacturers should be minimal.

Like the European energy label, the tyre label will use classes ranging from best-performance (green “A” class) to worst (red “G” class). Besides indicating how much the tyre affects the car’s fuel efficiency, it will also give information about its performance in wet conditions and its external rolling noise in decibels.

From 1 November 2012, suppliers of tyres for passenger cars, light and heavy duty vehicles (C1, C2 and C3 tyres) will have to inform consumers about fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise classes in any technical promotional material, including web sites. Re-treaded tyres, off-road professional tyres and racing tyres will be exempt from this requirement.

All C1 and C2 tyres produced after 1 July 2012 must either have a sticker or be accompanied by the label when distributed from the factory to a shop or a garage.

Unlike household appliances, tyres are not always on display in the shops, so MEPs insisted that retailers be obliged to show the label to the buyer before the sale and also on, or with, bills.

To promote very quiet tyres, the Parliament negotiated a re-design of the noise pictogram. The level of external rolling noise will be indicated by ascending numbers of black “waves” emitted from the “speaker”. Quiet tyres for cars (producing noise below 68 decibels), for example, will be labelled with one black and two white “waves” next to the value in decibels.

Potential incentives to promote better-performing tyres to consumers would be decided at national level. In principle, Member States would be allowed to provide incentives only for tyres ranked at least “class C” on fuel efficiency and wet grip.

National Road Safety Week is underway and Herts Police have put out a video clip to remind motorists how to check their tyres.

The short film takes motorists through three quick and easy steps to check over their vehicle’s tyres, with the help of Road Policing Officer PC Bruce Lister.

Chief Inspector Donna Pierce from the Road Policing Strategic Unit, said: “Tyres can be an often neglected part of our vehicles, but in reality they are incredibly important - they are what connects us with the road and can play a critical difference between staying safe on the roads and not.

“As the weather conditions worsen, it becomes even more important to ensure your vehicle is road-worthy and ready for the different driving conditions. Try to make it a regular part of your vehicle maintenance - check your tyre tread, make sure they are correctly inflated and are in good condition, and ensure you have plenty of windscreen washer fluid.”

Stuart Pile, Hertfordshire County Council’s Executive Member for Highways and Transport, said: “With more reliable vehicles and longer stretches between services, we often forget to carry out critical checks on things like tyres and lights.

“Road Safety Week is a good time for drivers and riders to focus on making sure their vehicles are in tip top condition. Why not make an early New Year’s resolution to check your tyres regularly, at least every couple of weeks and more often if you do a high mileage.”

The short video clip can be viewed on the Herts Police YouTube site at www.youtube.com/hertspolice.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Oliver Hall

Pirelli has secured $149 million in financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support environmentally related tyres research and development projects through 2012.

The loan will support the Italian tyres manufacturers R&D into product and manufacturing process innovation for reducing the environmental impact of tyres and improving their performance and safety standards related to innovative materials and components.

The parties did not disclose the loan’s repayment terms but said the loan is part of a $300 million credit line Pirelli secured with the EIB in July.

Marco Tonchetti Provera, chairman of Pirelli, said: “The loan from EIB represents a contribution to and an important recognition of the research activity of Pirelli….

“…this effort shows us committed to development of products and processes that are more and more ecocompatible — that is, oriented towards adopting technologies that offer customers not only safety and high performance — but also solutions which are respectful of the environment.”

EIB said the loan reflected its policy of supporting investment in projects that reduce pollution.
Dario Scannapieco, vice president of EIB, who oversees the bank’s activities in Italy, Malta and the western Balkans, added: “We are happy to continue our tradition of supporting the Pirelli Group…(which is) placing great attention on the goal of reduction of polluting emissions.”

The introduction of a refueling ban and reduced sized front tyres for the 2010 Formula One season have got the racing pundits in a spin over which of the McLaren boys they will favour – Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton.

There’s no doubt that the reigning world champion Button is a smooth operator when it comes to tyres, while Hamilton’s more aggresive driving style sees him burn rubber faster.

Now for 2010, refuelling is banned for the first time in 17 seasons. Enough fuel for the race — typically around 150kg — will cost up to five seconds a lap and it will impose potentially damaging loads on the tyres.

Although pit stops to change tyres are still permitted, a stop typically costs about 25-30 seconds. Therefore, a driver who can make his tyres last longer will be much faster in the later stages of the race.

If he can manage not to lose too much time he should be in good shape to pick off the more aggressive driver later.

Another factor coming into play is that Hamilton’s style also demands a car with a very grippy front so the rear will pivot around the front to give the rear slide that helps his direction change.

For 2010 the regulations have reduced the width of the front tyres and thereby their grip, so potentially further compromising his natural style.

Button’s less abrupt style equalises the loadings between front and rear more effectively and so he should be less affected by this change, although others argue that the reduced front tyre size also puts a greater proportion of the car’s total grip at the rear, so further taming the sort of rear instability that Button finds difficult to deal with.

So who is your money on?

Lewis may be the fastest driver, but can he learn to look after his tyres? Button can manage his tyres, but can he pick up the pace?

One thing’s for sure, we’ve got a long wait until the 2010 gets underway.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team