Hankook tire exec calls for global campaign to point out dangers of low tire pressure

Anyone driving a car today has certainly heard about the dangers of drinking and driving, and the use of a cell phone and texting while driving. Seung Hwa Suh, vice chairman and CEO of Hankook tires, is hoping more drivers will pay attention to the dangers of low tire pressure and driving. At The Tire Society's 29th Annual Meeting and Conference on Tire Science and Technology, Suh proposed that all tire manufacturers "jointly develop a global campaign for educating consumers about air pressure and the overwhelming benefits that we can all enjoy if we simply maintain proper inflation," he said.

Beanz Meanz More Eco-Friendly Future Fords

THE car industry is full of interesting and unusual business partnerships, but this latest tie-up between Ford and Heinz promises to be one of the more intriguing. Far from seeking to produce 57 varieties of any particular new Ford model, the two firms are exploring the use of tomato fibre to develop a sustainable composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing. For example, boffins believe that dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in future Ford vehicles or the storage bin a customer uses to hold coins and other small objects.

Automakers scrap diesel plans

Mainstream carmakers have put the brakes on nine diesel-powered vehicles that had been scheduled for 2010. Honda, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan and Toyota have halted diesel programs because of spiraling costs and other problems. Financial problems halted the programs at some companies.