December 2019

It’s going to be a hat-trick of Thai auto sales topping one million units, if the optimism of carmakers based in the kingdom comes true. They are predicting that car sales will reach the 1m mark in 2020, which will be the third straight year total industry volume has hit the mark, Bangkok Post reports.

China will create firms to recycle and re-use rubber tyres as it attempts to tackle a mounting waste problem, the industry ministry said.

Specialty tire maker GRI’s R&D team has developed an eco-friendly version of its high-performance Ultimate XT solid tire. Working in collaboration with a team of scientists from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, the team spent two-and-a-half years developing the eco-friendly newcomer by replacing petroleum-based oil with a natural oil that is carbon neutral and renewable.

Gert Heinrich, senior professor at Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, TU Dresden, discusses mechano-adaptive rubbers and a more lower-cost precursor for carbon fiber tire reinforcement, ahead of his presentation at the Tire Technology Expo Conference 2020.

Goodyear Tire and Redsher together started a pilot programme of intelligent tyres mobility solutions to fleets. Redspher, a transport and logistics group operating in 19 countries throughout Europe. Under the programme, The US tyre maker will supply its intelligent tyres – equipped with embedded sensors – through Redspher, to a variety of fleets.

New Electronics News

The electronic components market has been growing steadily over the past year and this trend is set to continue in 2020 and beyond, according to Jezel Hardern, Managing Director, Rutronik UK & Ireland.

Global car sales are expected to fall by roughly 3.1 million units in 2019, the steepest year-over-year decline since the 2008 financial crisis, CNBC reports. This is based on findings by Fitch Ratings’ economics team, which used data collected by the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. The sales of passenger cars worldwide fell to 80.6 million in 2018, down from 81.8 million sold in 2017.

Covestro China, an arm of the German specialty chemical company, is turning carbon dioxide from a climate villain into an environmental plus in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. In the not too distant future, you may sleep on a mattress made from carbon dioxide, not petroleum-based plastic, according to Covestro.

Yokohama Tire launches two new radial E-3 tires, the non-directional RT31 and the directional RT32, that provide long-lasting traction and durability for scrapers. Both tires are now available in size 37.25R35, with two advanced compounds offered: low-heat generating REG for longer-haul applications and CP-S for superior cut and chip resistance in aggressive-material handling.

Yokohama Tire finds the right mix as it attempts to recapture market share. Back in the early 2000s, Yokohama Tire had a 10% share of the North American UHP tire market with its Advan brand. At the time, its major competitors were Tier 1s like Michelin, Bridgestone and Continental, but since then, the likes of Hankook, Toyo and Falken have all made major plays for the same business.

Bridgestone will create Bridgestone Innovation Park, a global center of research, development and wellness that will help the company accelerate its transformation into a global leader in advanced mobility and sustainable solutions.

Romain Muggeo, lifecycle assessment performance engineer, and Antoine Pinneau, senior vice president development B2B, at Michelin, discuss the tire maker’s approach to tire lifecycle analysis as they strive to preserve biodiversity and the earth’s ecosystem.

Yokohama tires have been used as OE on Porsche’s Cayenne since the SUV was first introduced, with the new Cayenne the third model to be fitted with Yokohama tires. The Cayenne model comes equipped with 285/35ZR22 (106Y) size front tires and 315/30ZR22 (107Y) rear tires. The third model of the Cayenne has been sold globally since end of 2018.

Mercedes-Benz has begun local production of plug-in hybrid-batteries in Thailand with the opening of its new battery plant, which is located at the company’s vehicle manufacturing plant in Samut Prakan.

In an attempt to speed up development of its electric vehicle market ahead of its neighbours, Thailand is aiming to establish a National New Generation Vehicle Committee, and this will be accomplished within the next three months, according to the country’s industry ministry.

The joint venture between Cooper Tire and Sailun Vietnam Co, ACTR, rolled out the first tyre from its plant, located near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Cooper owns 35 per cent of ACTR, which will produce truck and bus radial (TBR) tyres for global markets.

Indonesia is seeking to ride the EV wave by attracting investment from electric vehicle battery producers as well as those involved in the chemicals needed for the batteries, extracted from nickel ore. The target is to churn them out by 2023, according to the minister who oversees the energy and mining ministry, reported by Reuters.

Thailand’s commitment to electric vehicles goes beyond just passenger vehicles, as its state-owned postal service (Thailand Post) is also looking to reduce its carbon footprint and air pollution. The company recently partnered up with energy company Banpu Infinergy to use EVs as part of pilot programme to deliver parcels in the Bangkok metropolitan area.

The builder of the Makati City Subway Project is hopeful of completing the intracity railway a year ahead of schedule after obtaining an environmental clearance from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR).
Antonio L. Tiu, president and chief executive officer of project proponent Philippine Infradev Holdings, Inc., told BusinessWorld Monday the company is looking to begin construction of the Makati subway before the year ends.