By Alex Kapadia

The development of fuel-efficient tyres helped Goodyear through the recession, according to the company boss.

Robert Keegan, chairman and CEO of Goodyear tyres, said: “We made the right decision late in 2008 to launch a record 62 new products in 2009 despite poor industry conditions. Others may have made a different decision.”

He pointed to the launch of the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tyre in North America as a “prime example of an impactful new product launch”.

The tyre was the most successful high value-added new product launch in the history of the company, taking just seven months to sell more than one million tyres and going on to sell a total of two million.

Keegan said the reason for the company’s success was it struck the right note with consumers, offering innovative products and mid-tier pricing.

He said: “With fuel-efficient tyres, we have created a major new growth generator for our company and for our customers.

“My comment to our customers has been consistent and clear. Don’t underestimate the market’s appetitie for fuel-efficient tires. It is likely to exceed all our expectations.”

Pirelli’s Cinturato passenger tyre line dominated annual tyres tests run by leading three European motoring clubs.

The Cinturato P7 and P6 were named best summer tyres in their categories for their “balance of ecological aspects with performance” in the eagerly-awaited results of the tests by German auto club ADAC, Switzerland’s Touring Club (TCS) and the Austrian automobile club (OEAMTC).

The Cinturato P7, an eco-friendly tyre developed for mid- to high-range cars, had the best overall rating among 17 different tyre models in the tests, and was listed as was “highly recommended” by ADAC, which said “very well-balanced summer tyre; good on wet and dry; low fuel consumption; the tyre with the lowest noise level.”

The Cinturato P6 was also ranked high in the ADAC tests of 19 lines, and also earned “highly recommended” status, according to the report in Tyre Review.

The Cinturato line also starred in independent tests run by German automotive media. The Cinturato P7 was “highly recommended” in tests run by Auto Zeitung, and as “good” by VW/Audi magazine Gute Fahrt.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Oliver Hall

Insurers are forking out £2.85m per month for pothole claims, according to AA Insurance.

However, the true cost of the damage caused could be higher because some motorists do not claim for punctured tyres and other mechanical problems.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance says: “Nationally, the damage to cars caused by potholes in February alone cost insurers around £2.85m - the equivalent of about 1,900 claims.

“But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because it takes serious damage to make it worth insurance claim. Garages and tyre centres are dealing with countless thousands of punctured tyres, damaged tracking or broken springs which don’t justify making a claim.

“The figures underline the struggle that local authorities are facing in keeping the pothole outbreaks under control,” he says.

“While some councils are keeping on top of the epidemic, following one of the most severe winters in living memory, others are struggling to meet the cost of the seemingly unending workload.”

The AA is building up a picture of the nationwide pothole plague via drivers’ reports on AA Pothole Watch which will be shared with the highway authorities.

Formula One racing ace Michael Schumacher has been talking about the importance of developing a “good feeling” for his tyres ahead of his return to the sport next Sunday.

The seven-time world champion agrees that with the new no-refueling during races ban, saving tyres will play a key role in race strategy.

Schumacher, who is driving for Mercedes - which has taken over last season’s championship-winning Brawn GP - said: “You will have less sets of tyres available than last year which makes it harder to do what you need to do for setting up the car perfectly.

“But driving is always about adapting to new circumstance, and this is one of my strong points.

“I would say the biggest difference are the tyres. You will have to develop a good feeling for them.”

Schumacher says he expects a long and hard fight for the Formula One title and believes finishing the season well will be more important than getting off to a good start.

The German driver, who is coming out of retirement to race for the first time in three years, revealed on his website that he is travelling to this weekend’s season opener in Bahrain with confidence.

However the 41-year-old German cautioned that the Mercedes GP car might not be in a position to win from the start.

“I said it quite clear from the beginning: we do not have to - and probably will not - be in the position to win right from the start,” he said.

“It is important to be close and then use the long season to be at the top at the end. It is not the start which is important; it is the finish.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

Dunlop tyres are the latest big name to jump onboard the apps bandwagon.

The tyres manufacturer has released an application for iPhone and Blackberry devices which allows users to search for the most appropriate tyre for their car simply by selecting their vehicle model.

And it even offers information on the features and benefits of the chosen tyre.

Dunlop says its app provides all the information available on its website, but with an easier and simplified viewing format specifically designed for the smaller mobile screen.

Kate Rock, PR support manager for Dunlop said: “Dunlop’s philosophy is to give consumers the drive of their life making sure that their experience behind the wheel becomes more tactile, thrilling and intense, providing vital information which makes all the difference to the journey.”

“By introducing the Dunlop App we are able to do this on a completely new level. By giving our consumers information literally at their finger tips, where ever they may be, enables us to ensure they are fitting the right Dunlop to their vehicle.”

“We hope to see further development of our application to enable us to have a constant communication with users. With more and more people opting for devices such as the iPhone or Blackberry this form of communication is becoming increasingly popular. For Dunlop it gives a new meaning to the term Touch Technology.”

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

By Denna Bowman

A used car dealership has landed in court after supplying an unroadworthy courtesy car and having two vehicles on its forecourt with bald tyres.

Prosecutor Iwan Davies told Neath Magistrates Court that the tyres offences came to light after a customer was given a Ford Ka as a courtesy car from Trade Centre Wales based in Neath Abbey last May.

He said: “While driving and stopping on the A48, he examined the tyres and noticed the front tyre was defective”.

The tyre was later examined by an authorised inspector who found it to be below the minimum tread of 1.6mm, and had ply cords which were exposed.

Mr Davies said trading standards then called at the Trade Centre Wales business park in Neath Abbey on June 3 following a complaint about the bald tyre on the courtesy car.

He said officers noticed two cars, a Kia Picanto and a Ford Focus, for sale on the forecourt which also had tyres below the minimum tread.

Mr Davies also told the court one of the staff members at Trade Centre Wales discovered after visiting a dealer about the tyre issue, that they had been measuring them incorrectly.

“They did not realise they had to measure on each side,” said Mr Davies.

He told the court that the company had no previous offences.

Anthony Vines, defending, said the problem with the courtesy car was down to a “system error”.

He said the system at the time the car went out was “not as robust” as it is now.

However, district judge Richard Williams said the problem with the tyre was self-evident.

He told the court: “Quite frankly, from the picture I have of the vehicle, as opposed to any technical training, one need only be awake [to see it].”

Referring to the two cars on the forecourt, Mr Vines said they would not have been sold in the condition that trading standards found them in.

He said company policy was not to allow customers to test drive or take a car away on the same day.

He told the court that the company takes customer care very seriously.

For the offence of supplying a Ford Ka in an unroadworthy condition, the company was fined the maximum penalty of £5,000.

However, this was reduced by £500 because of the company’s guilty plea.

Judge Williams said this car was used by a consumer “in a condition where it was foreseeable that one or both front tyres might have failed during that journey causing serious consequences”.

For the other two offences of possessing cars in an unroadworthy condition, the company was fined £2,250 with credit given for the guilty pleas.

In addition, Trade Centre Wales was ordered to pay costs of £1,332.50 and a victim surcharge of £15.

By Denna Bowman

Cooper tyres bounced into a fourth-quarter profit after experiencing a jump in sales and a drop in raw material prices.

Roy Armes, chief executive of the US based tyres manufacturer, said: “During the fourth quarter, we were encouraged by the stronger demand in many markets for our tyres.

“This improvement allowed the progress we have made to be more visible on the bottom line.”

Cooper has recently seen strength from a bounce-back in sales as well as lower raw-material prices and cost cuts.

The company has benefited from raising prices and restructuring, and demand for replacement tyres could rise as people drive more as the economy strengthens.

Like many tyres manufacturers around the world, Cooper had been hit during the recession as consumers chose to run longer on their old tyres before replacing them.

Cooper reported a profit of $39.2 million compared with a year-earlier loss of $143.5 million.

Cooper’s North American and international operations returned to the black in the latest quarter as revenue rose 11% and 56%, respectively.

By Alex Kapadia

Jenson Button has emphasised again the need for Formula One drivers to look after their tyres if they want to secure their places on the winners podium.

With just one week to go before the 2010 season gets underway in Bahrain, the McLaren driver and reigning world champion stressed that tyres strategy will play a vital role in deciding the outcome of races.

Asked what it will take to win in 2010, the British driver replied: “The first few laps will be very difficult.

“You are going to have to look after your tyres. It’s going to be easy to make a move but if you destroy your tyres on lap four, you’re going to be screwed for your first stint.

“Strategy is going to play a big part; but unlike the past you cannot plan things before the race.

“Your engineers will need to be on their toes, able to plan and react during a race. They’ll need a good understanding of the situation around you in a race, and now it’s more an enduro than a sprint, and one little slide early on can ruin your tyres.

“It will be important to finish every race. It’s going to be a great season, but a long one.”

The ferociously determined mechanics at Red Bull are charging head long into a grueling fitness regime to help them shave vital seconds off changing tyres.

With the ban on refueling, the length of time spent in the pit stops having all four tyres changed will be a massive factor in deciding the outcome of the 2010 Formula One World Championship, which starts a week today in Bahrain.

So Red Bull’s 18-man pit crew are making a 60 mile journey to the Bisham Abbey facilities in Buckinghamshire, also used by England’s football and rugby teams, to get in top shape for the coming season.

And the plan is paying off, with the Milton Keynes outfit stripping their time for changing all four tyres to a lightning 1.8 seconds, according to a report in the Sunday Mirror.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: “The guys have trained like hell over the winter. Bisham Abbey has proved great.

“We have even changed the crew around quite a lot to get the right guys in the right place because some are better than others at using the gun or changing tyres.

“They have all lost weight and got fitter in the process. The guys have been training in the gym at 12 and 4pm every day since November.

“We have done sub-two second stops. They are absolutely lightning.

“We’ve always been fast but now there’s been a lot more of a scientific approach to the whole issue.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Oliver Hall

Michelin Fleet Solutions has announced it has increased its share of tyres used by the bus fleet in London.

The company said it now provides tyres for 98 percent of the vehicles operating on certain London bus routes within the M25, via contracts with Transport for London.

As part of the agreements, Michelin will carry out tyre fitment, maintenance and fleet inspections on every vehicle, ensuring all tyres in service are in good condition.

The combined agreements - all supported on pence per mile (PPM) contracts - cover well over 8,000 vehicles under the management of London Buses - part of Transport for London (TfL) - operating primarily on 245/70 R 19.5 and 275/70 R 22.5 Michelin X InCity tyres.

With 2.2 billion passenger trips made across approximately 700 different routes on the London network each year, the combined contract includes single-deck, double-deck, bendy-buses and historic Routemasters (still operating on two heritage routes) supported by Michelin Fleet Solutions, traversing a combined total of nearly 300 million miles each year.

The X InCity tyres in use are designed primarily for urban and inter-urban applications, and Michelin reports the tyre “performs well in demanding stop/start applications and benefits from a casing that has additional protection against kerb damage with reinforced sidewalls.”

The tyres feature wear indicators on the sidewalls to simplify regular fleet checks and in order to maximise mileage obtained from each tyre and minimise their environmental impact, London bus contracts are operated according to the ‘Michelin Four Lives’ tyre process.

Each tyre is regrooved when the tread depth reaches 3mm, taking advantage of the additional layer of rubber included in all Michelin commercial vehicle tyres. Once the regrooved tyre has lived out its life it is remoulded by Michelin into an X InCity Remix, which can also be later regrooved.