Page 14 - CTB N9 - 2015-01

INTERVIEW
Interview: Chris Evans – Pirelli
Pirelli has long been active in the truck and bus market, but it’s probably true to say that the company’s profile in this sector, at least in Europe, has not been on the same level as it is in car tyres. However, in recent times we have seen increased focus from the Italian manufacturer on its products and services for commercial vehicles, and April will see the company exhibiting at the CV Show for the first time. We spoke to Chris Evans, Director of Truck Business for the UK to find out more about the company’s new approach to the commercial vehicle tyre market.
Commercial Tyre Business
Pirelli’s change in approach to the truck tyre market in recent times has been noticeable, and yet, for the moment, the company’s position in terms of market share, is below that of the other premium brands. How do you hope to change this?
Chris Evans
In terms of the Premium Market, I can reflect that our current share is not the highest, but our focus and determination is to change that position. Indeed, we have only recently had the capacity to change this focus, using the right products.
During the last three years,
however, we have managed to develop the kind of premium product that will allow us to achieve our growth aims. We recognise the importance of the achievements of our R&D department because the advent of environmental labelling and the growing importance of fuel economy has made the role played by R&D more and more crucial. From state of the art technological advancements, driven by our association with Formula 1, through to design and development of new products and compounds, our leading edge Premium Products are now best in class. Creating this strength in product development has allowed us to reach a position where we can develop our range of services around that product. In April we’ll be exhibiting at the CV Show for the first time, which also emphasises our increased confidence in the quality of our product range and our fleet service package.
CTB
What can we expect to see in terms of new product from Pirelli for the truck and bus sector.
CE
We’ll be focusing on the second generation of our top performing commercial vehicle tyres the FR-01
II and TR-01 II. The FR:01 II has been designed with increased tread width for better mileage and steering precision and features a patented shoulder tread contour that optimizes footprint distribution to increase mileage even further. The TR:01 II, meanwhile, has been created with improved traction in mind, and this has been achieved through a combination of deeper grooves and optimised tread direction. We’ll also be showing our trailer tyre, the ST:01 Neverending, the first on the market with a “A” ratings in both energy efficiency and in wet grip. These developments show that Pirelli truck tyres are now at the top end of the performance spectrum.
In addition to our new tyres, we’ve also introduced a new high pressure TR-01 Novateck retread for drive axles. The new retread is cured at a higher temperature than standard retreads. It is also cured in a 12-segment mould which helps assure better symmetry. These improvements help make the tyre more like a new tyre improving performance and mileage
CTB
CE
We manage our fleets with an ‘in- house’ developed management system, which is a considered a key benefit because, unlike some other manufacturers, our system is ‘automatic’. All online fleets can see their information at any time, as can the distributor. From a Dealer point of view there is also an advantage because the system raises ‘purchase orders’ straight away. We do like to point out, though, that we do not pressurise our fleet customers to use specific service providers. We allow fleets, wherever possible, to use their own preferred service provider.
We back up our service to fleets with our CQ24 Pirelli breakdown service, which operates in the UK in conjunction with the ITDN. The network prioritises Pirelli service providers, and then passes work onto others – it’s partly about guaranteeing fill rates. Although, again, we emphasise, we do not say that our customers must use certain service providers. CQ24 also has a European element in conjunction with our European partners. This is all part of customer expectations.
CTB
Finally, please tell us about the latest developments in your package of fleet monitoring services.
CE
We’ve developed an integrated package of fleet solutions such as our ‘Fleet Check’ tyre audit system and our ‘Cyber Fleet’ management system, which automatically monitors tyre pressures and temperatures. At present we are working closely with two telematics companies with a view to integrating the Cyberfleet system into telematics systems. This will allow fleet managers to see the pressures on their fleet vehicles at any time. We expect this to be running on a fleet in the UK within the second quarter of the year.
14 Commercial Tyre Business
How are you communicating these product improvements to fleet customers?
CE
We are putting increased resources into providing back-up to fleets. To begin with, we have added additional resource to our Truck Team in order to provide a Consultative service to our Fleet customers. We are concentrating on taking the ‘worry’ away from fleets and providing clear transparency on the performance of our products. Fleets generally want to outsource as much as possible without losing control and we are now providing systems that allow fleets to see what is happening to their tyres in real time.
CTB
What is your policy with regards to service provision to fleets?