GETTING A GRIP ON WINTER TIRE BUSINESS

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Outside of laws mandating the use of winter tires, the most influential factor leading Canadians to install them is family and friends.

A recent survey of Canadian car owners found that while more than 80% of Canadians driving with winter tires say they prevented a collision, only about 65% of drivers in this country actually use them when they’re not mandated.

Leger’s 2020 Canadian Consumer Winter Tire Study, commissioned by the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC), found that outside of Quebec, where winter tire usage is mandated by law, a third of Canadians still fail to see the benefits.

Among the findings is which factors motivate drivers to opt for winter tires. There are really no surprises in the list of top motivators:

• Winter tire laws (34%)

• Advice from friends and family (17%)

• Lower auto insurance premiums (11%)

• Media coverage (7%)

 

Read the source article at Indie Garage

Michelin boss sees COVID recovery, but tough start to 2021 for autos

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Auto sales and production will recover from COVID-19 by the end of next year — barring further shocks — but the pandemic will have far-reaching effects on the industry from leadership to who drives where, the leader of tire maker Michelin’s North American operations predicts.

Read the source article at Detroit Free Press

TRAC Announces Changes to the Board of Directors

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Cambridge, Ontario; November 26, 2020— The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) today announces a new board member and a new board chair, following the resignation of Tony Mougios of Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. Dr. Antoine Sautenet of Michelin was elected as a Director to complete Mr. Mougios unexpired term and elected 2nd Vice-Chair of the Board. Maureen Kline of Pirelli moves into the role as Chair of the Board, Paul Downey of Pliteq becomes 1st Vice Chair and Matt Livigni of Continental Tire remains as Treasurer.

Read the source article at TRAC News

USTMA, The Ray, and University of Missouri Announce Research Partnership Project to Assess Knowledge on Environmental Impact, Benefits of Rubber Modified Asphalt

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WASHINGTON – December 2, 2020 – The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), in partnership with The Ray, a nonprofit proving ground for sustainable transportation technologies, today announced a research project to assess and compile existing research on the performance, environmental impacts and benefits of using ground tire rubber (GTR) in asphalt. The compiled research will result in a state of knowledge report that outlines existing research and identifies data gaps in the use of ground tire rubber in rubber modified asphalt. 

Read the source article at U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association

TRAC Announces Changes to the Board of Directors

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Cambridge, Ontario; November 26, 2020— The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) today announces a new board member and a new board chair, following the resignation of Tony Mougios of Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. Dr. Antoine Sautenet of Michelin was elected as a Director to complete Mr. Mougios unexpired term and elected 2nd Vice-Chair of the Board. Maureen Kline of Pirelli moves into the role as Chair of the Board, Paul Downey of Pliteq becomes 1st Vice Chair and Matt Livigni of Continental Tire remains as Treasurer.
 
“Tony has served with distinction as TRAC Board Chair including leading the Board in the search for TRAC’s new President and CEO in the light of Glenn Maidment’s retirement. We thank Tony for his service and wish him well. Additionally, the Board of Directors would like to welcome Antoine and looks forward to his support in advancing TRAC’s vision and strategic objectives,” said Carol Hochu, incoming President and CEO.
 
Mr. Sautenet currently serves as the Director of Governmental Affairs for Michelin Canada, and as Public Affairs Manager for International Trade and Sustainable Mobility at the Corporate Public Affairs Department. He holds PhD in International and European Law from Université de Rennes, is a member of the European Research Center in Rennes (CEDRE), and a senior lecturer at the High School of Foreign Trade (ESCE) in Hanoi.
 
The TRAC Board Officers and Directors are as follows:
 
Maureen Kline      Chair (Pirelli Tire North America)
Paul Downey        1st Vice-Chair (Pliteq Inc.)
Antoine Sautenet  2nd Vice-Chair (Michelin North America (Canada) Inc.)
Matt Livigni           Treasurer (Continental Tire Canada Inc.)
      
Neil Bansal           Western Rubber Group
Chris Bitsakakis    AirBoss of America Corp.
Paul Christou        Goodyear Canada Inc.
Keshav Das          BKT Tires (Canada) Inc.
Darious Naylor      Bridgestone Canada Inc.
Robert Rist           Cabot Canada Ltd.

Just the Facts – multiple reasons why it’s beneficial to have winter tires.

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The 1950s police drama “Dragnet” inspired several catch phrases including “The story you are about to see is true”, “We were working the day watch”, and my personal favourite “Just the facts, ma’am”. Apparently, Sergeant Joe Friday, a fictional character created and portrayed by Jack Webb, never actually said “Just the facts, ma’am” but somehow it stuck. What is sticking in my mind these days are important facts related to winter tire usage in Canada from TRAC’s recently released 2020 Canadian Consumer Winter Tire Study, and supported by other studies from Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) and Manitoba Public Insurance. In keeping with the Dragnet theme, “The facts you are about to read are true”:

Read the source article at Autosphere.ca

Pirelli trims margin guidance on mixed outlook

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MILAN, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Italian tyre-maker Pirelli on Wednesday lowered its margin forecast for this year, citing continuing uncertainty in light of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The manufacturer of tyres for Formula One and high-end carmakers such as BMW and Audi said the 2020 market outlook had improved in the North America and Asia-Pacific regions.

“But the outlook (is) cautious for Europe because of recent anti-COVID measures following the resurgence of the pandemic,” it said in a statement.

The group guided for a 2020 full-year margin on its adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of 11.5-12%, against a twice-trimmed previous forecast of 12-13%, to account for the impact of exchange rates, raw materials and other costs.

Read the source article at Reuters.com

Winter tires could save your life – don’t listen to the truthers

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If haven’t got your winter tires on now, you may have to wait a while. Thanks to COVID-19, there could be a decrease in supply. Production slowed down once lockdowns went into effect last spring. Plus, closures meant some drivers couldn’t visit mechanics and spent the summer driving on their winter tires; now, those tires will need to be replaced. In the last few weeks, there has been a rush to get winter tires put on.

Read the source article at Home – The Globe and Mail

ETRMA welcomes the EU Commission commitment to scope the development of possible further Union-wide end-of-waste (EoW) and by-product criteria (BP).

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In the context of the “Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference: Together for a cleaner and more competitive Europe” running on 3-4 November 2020, ETRMA joins forces to bring further the EU Commission commitment to scope, during 2020-2021, the development of possible further Unionwide end-of-waste (EoW) and by-product criteria (BP).

This scoping exercise will help the Commission to make informed decisions on the need to adopt EU-wide EoW and/or BP criteria. Under a circular economy perspective, such harmonized criteria would allow by-products from production processes to be widely recognized in the Union as nonwaste and, facilitate its use in the economy. It would also allow waste to be recovered and widely recognized in the Union as a safe and high quality secondary raw material at the level to compete with raw materials and free to be shipped over the Member States’ borders with minimum administrative burdens.

 

Read the source article at etrma.org

Why you need to get winter tires

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…One of the most common winter rituals is switching all-season and summer performance tires out in favour of those designed specifically for winter driving. The reasons for doing so might appear obvious, given Canadian winters are quite long and cold with heavy snowfall accumulation, but I’m going to outline the main benefits of winter tire use along with other factors to consider when making the switch.

 

Read the source article at thestar.com