ERJ Top Five: Tire Supply News

ERJ staff report (TP)

Oman ... German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation ... Bridgestone ... Sumitomo Rubber ... Cooper Tire

1. In Oman, the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) said, despite a ban, some shops continue to trade in the business of used tires in a surreptitious manner. On 21 June, the PACP prohibited the sale, marketing, display and distribution of tires for light vehicles, buses and light trucks that have not been used, but were manufactured 24 months earlier. In the case of tires for heavy trucks, the ban applies to all those that carry a 30-month-old date of production.

2. On behalf of the German Ministry for Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) announced it is supporting the Kenyan government to implement a sustainable and environmentally-sound waste tire management system. A strategic alliance has been established between GIZ and companies from the cement industry, the tire sector (traders and producers), and from the road transport sector.

3. Bridgestone’s DUELER H/L 33 tires will be original equipment on the new Lexus NX compact crossover SUV (pictured above) launched first in Japan on 29 July and then globally. The tires are engineered with low rolling resistance, and the DUELER H/L 33 and has been selected as original equipment for other SUVs around the world. The Lexus NX is the first compact crossover SUV and the model lineup consists of the NX200t, which incorporates a new 2.0-liter turbo engine, and the NX300h, with a 2.5-liter hybrid system for “environmental performance within its class”.

4. The new Michelin motorsport-developed LTX Force gravel tire made its competitive debut at the 2014 Rally Finland, 31 July to 3 August. Private testing ahead of the event helped the company deal with the event’s "notoriously challenging" stages. On the event’s longer stages, Michelin said, due to the tires, the times were 0.5s/km faster on the first passes and 0.3s/km quicker on the second visits, when the conditions were cleaner.

5. Overland Journal, the publication for worldwide vehicle-supported expedition and adventure travel, awarded the Cooper Discoverer A/T3 light truck tire its "Editor’s Choice and Value Award". The tire went through a head-to-head test with seven of the most popular all-terrain tires, and through a comparison of 10 different evaluation exercises.