Bridgestone’s Debra Hamlin Elected TIA Secretary
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) board elected Bridgestone Americas Inc. executive Debra Hamlin to secretary, June 24, during its summer board meeting in Orlando, Fla., the association says. A TIA board member for the past four years, Hamlin serves as the director of environment, health, safety and sustainability – Commercial Tire Division for Bridgestone Americas.

2022 SEMA Show to Highlight EV Trends, Technologies
The 2022 SEMA Show will feature an expanded “SEMA Electrified” section. Located in the North Hall, the specialized exhibit area will feature the latest advancements in electric vehicle (EV) technology, including new products and solutions for EV platforms and conversions, SEMA says. Although alternative powertrains currently represent just 1% of the 250 million cars, SUVs

Tire Industry Association Launches EV Advisory Council
As the automotive industry shifts toward producing electric-powered vehicles, the Tire Industry Association (TIA) has launched an Electric Vehicle Advisory Council (EVAC) to begin evaluating the impact of this evolution on the tire industry. The council will focus on educating and training tire and auto dealers on the proper service techniques and procedures of EVs,

Pirelli Talks EV Tires for the Aftermarket, Investing in North America
You may not be seeing electric vehicles in your shop now, but, as market data predicts, they are coming, and tiremakers are preparing in a variety of ways to provide for this new vehicle segment. Thanks to its OE relationships and technology-driven development, one tiremaker that is making significant strides in this segment is Pirelli,

The Pirelli Elect Range Grows
Pirelli Elect is now widely available for the aftermarket and for winter. Gradual integration of Elect technology will be fit into all the P Zero, Cinturato and Scorpion ranges in summer, all-season and winter versions, the company says. Pirelli says the Scorpion family for SUVs is particularly relevant as it currently has the greatest number

Avg. Vehicle Age in the US Up to 12.2 Years
The average age of light vehicles in operation (VIO) in the U.S. rose to 12.2 years this year, increasing by nearly two months over the prior year, according to new research from S&P Global Mobility (formerly the automotive team at IHS Markit). This is the fifth straight year the average vehicle age in the U.S.

Prinx Chengshan Unveils New Flagship Brand At Tire Cologne 2022
Prinx Chengshan debuted its new flagship brand, Prinx, at Tire Cologne 2022, from May 24 to 26, 2022. With an international product portfolio covering the Prinx, Chengshan, Austone and Fortune brands, Prinx Chengshan informed partners, customers and the media of its new brand via its booth design and VR technologies, the company says. To offer

The Trickle Down Effect of Tire Supply Chain Disruption [Audio]
For the last several years, the one word that constantly comes up in conversations about the tire business is supply–No. 1 getting the tires, and No. 2, getting the ones you need. Inflation has caused logistics and transportation costs to rise, and we’re still seeing port congestion and other ripple effects from COVID shutdowns and

Keeping Up With Increasing Tire Sizes
Everything seems like it is getting bigger nowadays, right? I mean, our phones barely fit in our pockets. Things are getting bigger in the auto industry, too. Take, for example, the trend of increasing tire rim diameters- namely in the 18- to 22-in. rim-diameter range in recent years, which has seen double-digit growth since 2015.

Tire Supply Chains Are ‘Anything But Normal’ and They Won’t be for a While
For the last several years, the one word that constantly comes up in conversations about the tire business is supply–No. 1 getting the tires, and No. 2, getting the ones you need. Inflation has caused logistics and transportation costs to rise, and we’re still seeing port congestion and other ripple effects from COVID shutdowns and

Autel U.S. Enters EV Charging Solutions Industry
Autel U.S has announced its entry into the EV charging solutions provider industry with the release of its MaxiCharger Home and Commercial Level 2 AC chargers. These new chargers, available in 40 and 50 amp flexible charging configurations, are compatible with all plug-in electric vehicles and feature software solutions. MaxiCharger Home 40 amp chargers are

EV Consideration May Be Up But Skepticism Still Exists
Auto shoppers in America are more likely than ever before to consider buying a fully electric vehicle, and new EV entries are responsible for much of the added consideration. These new entries, many from long-established vehicle manufacturers, are turning EV skeptics into likely EV considerers, according to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration
