May 2020

Competing with the changing tire industry will require producers to use flexible, smart and low-cost solutions. The tire production industry is experiencing an influx of change. A decade ago, there were maybe a few different kinds of tires to choose from. Now, there are more than 10, with the ability to customize mass quantities. Additionally, global tire demand is expected to grow 4% per year in unit terms from 2019 to 2024.

Fully electric vehicles are well-known for their zero tailpipe emissions, though their green credentials have been questioned for the environmental friendliness of the processes in harvesting raw materials for the vehicles’ batteries. New research has found that a growing electric vehicle population could bring about a shortage in natural resources as well as further pollution, Car Advice reported.

Bridgestone has launched the Weather Control A005 Evo, the second generation of its all-season touring tire. The tire and rubber company says it has been designed to deliver year-round control, safety and convenience, and has been reengineered for additional performance benefits. The A005 Evo has been built using Bridgestone’s advanced, high-silica NanoPro-tech compound technology combined with a new mixing technology to improve its silica dispersion for better fuel economy and snow performance.

Hailing from Poland, the Triggo EV is an urban mobility electric vehicle with a slight twist. Designed with a variable front wheel track, the Triggo EV is able to extend its front wheels to provide stability at cruising speeds or draw the wheels in for maneuverability in traffic and for parking. For what Triggo calls cruise mode, the width of the front wheels of the Triggo EV is 1.48 metres, giving stability at its governed top speed of 90 km/h.

Addmaster has secured its first win in the ‘Innovation’ category after using its Biomaster-branded antimicrobial technology to improve hygiene and preserve the environment by encouraging safer use of reusable products.

Bridgestone has acquired German tire trade group REIFF Reifen und Autotechnik. Under the Reiff, Netto and ABS brand names, REIFF runs a network of 42 retail stores in southern Germany and a tire retreading plant. With over 500 employees, Bridgestone says the acquisition of REIFF fits well with its three-pillared strategy to lead mobility solutions by focusing on premium tires, trusted mobility solutions and customer-centric retail networks.

The LIAD Smart ColorSave- Micro enables accurate dosing down to one pellet for applications in the medical, automotive and electronics industries.

Bridgestone Tire announced the launch of its Weather Control A005 EVO tire, the second generation of the company’s all-season touring tire. Like its predecessor, the Weather Control A005, the Bridgestone Weather Control A005 EVO has been designed to deliver year-round control, safety, and convenience – but has been reengineered to offer additional performance benefits.

It appears that Indonesia’s efforts to turn itself into an EV battery production hub may be supported by the fact that it could offer the lowest manufacturing costs in the whole of Asia. According to a BloombergNEF report, Indonesia’s industrial electricity prices are about 11% lower than China. In fact, the country is teeming with nickel, cobalt and manganese depositories, which are key raw minerals in EV batteries.

The world’s largest automotive market is still feeling the aftershocks of COVID-19, consultant Michael Dunne says. Sales this year could finish at roughly 20 million units, down from a high of 27 million units.

Thailand’s auto production is expected to take big tumble of 37% to 1.33 million units this year, and according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) auto club, the drop could be as bad as 50% (to one million units) should the Covid-19 crisis drags into June, the Bangkok Post reports. The latest 1.33 million units forecast consists of 665,000 units for export and 665,000 units for domestic consumption, split evenly.