Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Industry and Innovation, the Hon Greg Combet AM MP was the first member of the public to plug into the petrol pump of the future with one of Holden’s first Volt vehicles.

Joining the Minister for the unveiling was Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, ChargePoint CEO James Brown and Holden’s Executive Director Engineering Greg Tyus.

Mr Tyus, whose engineering team is responsible for preparing the Volt for Australia, said Volt would change the way Australians think about sustainable transport and Holden.

The Holden Volt will be on sale in Australia later this year and is a game-changing EV, explains Holden.

With extended-range capacity it can recharge in less than four hours using the dedicated level two, 3.3kW charging station.

Charge point is supporting the launch of the Holden Volt by providing six additional green energy charging stations in Holden’s engineering and design headquarters and at its Proving Ground in Lang Lang for all employees driving the Volt evaluation vehicles and working on the program.

As vice president, finance for The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company, North America, Ms Thompson leads the company’s largest business unit with annual sales of almost US$10 billion.

Ms Thompson is also the executive in charge of developing Goodyear’s new headquarters in Akron, Ohio and previously held the role of vice president of business development.

“Laura is an influential leader and a valuable member of our finance organisation with a natural ability to inspire teamwork and motivate others,” said Darren R. Wells, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

“She is very deserving of this honour.”

Joining Goodyear in 1983, Ms Thompson has served in various financial and accounting roles including director of investor relations and has completed a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1986 and a Master of Business Administration in Finance in 1991, both from The University of Akron.

A member of the University’s Advancement Council for the College of Business Administration, Ms Thompson received the 2011 Dr Frank L. Simonetti Award, presented to distinguished alumni in recognition of their outstanding achievements in business and significant contributions to their communities.

The Treasury & Risk list of “30 Outstanding Women in Finance” is compiled annually and includes women in corporate finance who have made a significant difference to their companies and industries.

For more information and to view the full list visit:
http://www.treasuryandrisk.com/2012/05/01/30-outstanding-women-in-finance

Barcelona, May 13, 2012

Maldonado qualified on pole, but was passed by Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, who made his first pit stop on lap 11. The biggest winner from the first stint was McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who went from last to fourth before switching to the hard tyres on lap 14.

With cooler conditions of 23 degrees centigrade ambient and 32 degrees track temperature, the working range of the P Zero Silver hard tyre came into its own, making it the favoured option for most teams to race on. The other nominated tyre, the P Zero Yellow soft, offered a significant performance advantage, and was used mainly for qualifying and the beginning of the race, with every driver starting on the soft tyre.

The key to Maldonado’s victory was when he made his second stop two laps sooner than Alonso for the hard tyre, which enabled him to put in some quick laps and get past the Ferrari which pitted for the second time on lap 26. From then on, he was able to control his advantage with a three-stop strategy, which was also adopted by Alonso. After his final stop, Maldonado ran the P Zero Silver tyre for 25 laps to take victory by 3.1 seconds as he and Alonso raced to the finish on the hard tyre. Both drivers started on the soft tyre, and then used three sets of the hard tyre.

Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen, who finished third, also made good use of the hard tyre during his final 18-lap stint to close up on the leaders over the last 10 laps, having made three stops. By the end of the race, he was less than a second behind Alonso. Raikkonen used a different strategy to the two drivers in front of him, using the soft tyre twice at the beginning of the race and then completing two stints on the hard tyre.

By contrast, Hamilton was the only person to use a two-stop strategy to finish eighth – a result that was decided on the final lap – from 24th and last on the grid, after his original pole position time was cancelled for a rules infringement.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel finished sixth after four pit stops, including one drive-through penalty, and retains the championship lead jointly with Alonso. This is the closest start to a season since 1983 – which was also the last time a Venezuelan scored world championship points, thanks to Johnny Cecotto. Maldonado now becomes Venezuela’s first grand prix winner.

Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery commented: “With Pastor Maldonado starting from the front and Lewis Hamilton starting from the back, this was always going to be a fascinating race, and thanks to the tyre strategy as well, it certainly delivered. Maldonado and Williams were quick right from free practice on Friday, having consistently got the most out of both tyre compounds all weekend. The final 10 laps were a fantastic duel between him and Alonso, with less than a second separating them, on similar strategies. Both drivers showed their tyre management skills perfectly, managing to avoid falling off ‘the cliff’ despite pushing hard for the race win. The tyres contributed to an extremely entertaining and tense race, but as official supplier we will always follow the wishes of the teams and the promoter and our future development direction will be dictated by what they want. For the sport, we believe that it’s fantastic to have five races, five winners and five cars – especially when it is as well deserved as the victory that we saw from Pastor and Williams today.”

PIT STOP SUMMARY – 2012 SPANISH GRAND PRIX

The first column denotes the tyres the driver started the race on.
S = Soft compound
H = Hard compound
N = New compound
U = Used compound
NC = Not classified
DT = Drive Through
The last column gives the total amount of pit stops.

Barcelona, May 11, 2012

Jenson Button set the fastest time during the second session this afternoon, with a time of 1m23.399 on the soft tyre. As expected, temperatures remained dry and warm for both the hour and a half sessions, allowing the drivers to experience the sort of conditions that they are likely to encounter during qualifying on Saturday. For the race, a risk of rain showers has been initially forecast.

With Barcelona being one of the circuits that places heavy demands on the tyres, the teams used the two free practice sessions to assess wear and degradation rates on different fuel loads, and also to establish a base set-up that will suit their likely strategies. With many teams having introduced upgrades at the recent Mugello test, free practice in Barcelona was also another opportunity to see how these worked in conjunction with the 2012-specification Pirelli tyres.

For the first time, there is an entire step in between the two compounds that have been nominated by Pirelli for the race. With a lap time difference of just over a second between the two compounds, strategy will be even more important during the race, putting an emphasis on the data collected by the teams during free practice today.

In the morning session, the teams concentrated exclusively on the P Zero Silver hard before moving onto the P Zero Yellow soft tyre in the afternoon with some further use of the hard compound. The fastest time in free practice one was set by Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso with a benchmark of 1m24.754s.

Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “It was a very important session today for all the teams, as they aimed to gather as much information as possible in order to prepare their race strategies, which are going to have a big influence on the final outcome of the race. Barcelona is well known for a notable degree of tyre wear thanks to long and fast corners such as turn three, and although we still have plenty of data to analyse, it seems that the frontrunners will be likely to adopt a three-stop strategy. However, with a wider gap between the two nominated tyres than usual – both in terms of compound and performance – we could see some quite different strategies that are capable of springing a surprise. And of course if the rain showers that some people are predicting for Sunday materialise, then the race will take on an entirely new and unexpected complexion. With many of the teams introducing new developments in Spain, it almost feels like we are starting the season from scratch again.”

Tomorrow (Saturday) Paul Hembery will be taking part in a live online chat from the Spanish Grand Prix at 6.00pm local time (+1 hour CET), together with Pirelli test driver Jaime Alguersuari, who has been recently testing Pirelli’s latest development tyres at Jerez in the south of Spain. To join in and stream on your own website please visit: http://streamingf1.pirelli.com/share/
To watch, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/Pirelli/app_234658916574732

PIRELLI NUMBERS OF THE DAY:

Sets used overall:

Hard 53
Soft 25
Intermediates 0
Wet 0

Highest number of laps per compound:

Hard 17
Soft 18
Intermediate 0
Wet 0

PIRELLI FACT OF THE DAY:

Last year, a four-stop strategy proved the key to success for Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel: the only race other than Turkey (which also contains high-speed, high-energy corners) where this was the case. Pirelli nominated the hard and soft tyres last year in Barcelona as well, but this year’s compounds are softer across the board: the 2012 hard compound is similar in character to last year’s medium. However, the teams have plenty of experience of running the 2012 Pirelli tyres in Barcelona through pre-season testing. The final test held in March was dominated by Lotus, which went quickest on three out of the four days, using the P Zero Yellow soft tyre.

The magazine labels the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 as more balanced than its competitors and safe and secure in dry and wet conditions with a great all round performance.

Michelle Fisher, Goodyear UK brand manager said: “Our Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tyre continues to prove its worth as an increasing number of independent experts discover its strengths, on both wet and dry road surfaces.

“It is a clear recognition that the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 is being seen as one of the best tyres on the market today, and being named as the ‘Best Tyre’ by such an influential automotive magazine really adds credibility to our message.”

With over a decade of testing experience, the Auto Express tyre test goes beyond the mandatory categories of performance labels that will become compulsory in Europe later this year.

Besides testing noise, economy and wet grip, Auto Express also tests handling and braking in wet and dry conditions, aquaplaning, cabin noise and all-round ability.

Also commended and completing the top three in the ‘Best Summer Tyre’ category were the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 with its wet grip performance and the Pirelli P Zero, winning the handling and braking disciplines.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2’s win of the 2012 Product Awards follows its first place in the 2011 Auto Express Tyre Test.

For more information visit:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/product_awards/283069/the_best_summer_tyre.html

Fitted with Goodyear tyres, the Mean Green broke the standing kilometre and flying kilometre international speed records on April 27, 2012.

In order to withstand such forces it was essential to have good tyres and Goodyear worked closely with Volvo to develop tyres especially for the Mean Green.

Based on 495/45R22.5 Marathon Long Haul Drive truck carcasses, the tyres were hand-built in order to cope with the enormous torque and speeds of the Mean Green.

The Mean Green compels 2,100 horsepower (1,566kW) and almost 5,000lb-ft (6,770Nm) torque. 200 horsepower (149kW) and 885lb-ft. (1,198Nm) of torque come from the electric motor.

The team also had to take into consideration aerodynamics as well as the altitude of 1,280 metres (4,200 feet) above sea level which impacts the cooling of the engine.

For the stand still record, the truck starts from zero along a 1,000 metre track in one direction and then back in the other direction. The average speed from both runs is recorded as the official figure.

The Green Mean reached 153.252km/h (95.245mph), thumping the record it previously held of 152.253km/h (94.605mph).

For the flying kilometre record, the truck was given a short distance to build up speed before a 1,000 metre span of track in each direction as with the stand still.

It averaged 236.577km/h (147.002mph), breaking the previous record of 218.780km/h (135.943mph).

The records have to be recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in order to be official, this will happen in approximately 60-90 days.

For more information visit:
http://www.volvotrucks.com/trucks/na/en-us/news_and_events/_layouts/CWP.Internet.VolvoCom/NewsItem.aspx?News.ItemId=122954&News.Language=en-gb

For over 70 years, Bridgestone has been manufacturing OTR tyres and supplies a range of OTR products and services to mining, construction, highway service and port customers worldwide.

Since 1989, the OTR division has run separately from the passenger car and truck-bus divisions in order to be able to entirely focus on the demands of this particular market segment.

Recent developments in CAD technology has enabled Bridgestone to develop the Grand Unified Tyre Design Technology (GUTT), an automatic tyre simulation and design method that helps to produce extremely durable tyres and simplifies the tyre development process.

In addition to GUTT, Bridgestone has continued research about tyre development at the molecular level optimising the mixture ratio and reaction between carbon, silica and rubber.

This has lead to more environmentally friendly tyres as well as reduced fuel consumption, better rolling resistance and extended life span for off-the-road tyres for passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

At INTERMAT, Bridgestone displayed a selection of its top performing OTR tyres and new products as well as the world’s largest OTR tyre, the VRF 59/80R63 with a diameter of more than 4 metres, designed for giant 400 ton rigid dump trucks

For more information, please go to:
http://www.bridgestonenewsroom.eu/stories/6603
http://www.bridgestonenewsroom.eu/stories/6604

For over 70 years, Bridgestone has been manufacturing OTR tyres and supplies a range of OTR products and services to mining, construction, highway service and port customers worldwide.

Since 1989, the OTR division has run separately from the passenger car and truck-bus divisions in order to be able to entirely focus on the demands of this particular market segment.

Recent developments in CAD technology has enabled Bridgestone to develop the Grand Unified Tyre Design Technology (GUTT), an automatic tyre simulation and design method that helps to produce extremely durable tyres and simplifies the tyre development process.

In addition to GUTT, Bridgestone has continued research about tyre development at the molecular level optimising the mixture ratio and reaction between carbon, silica and rubber.

This has lead to more environmentally friendly tyres as well as reduced fuel consumption, better rolling resistance and extended life span for off-the-road tyres for passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

At INTERMAT, Bridgestone displayed a selection of its top performing OTR tyres and new products as well as the world’s largest OTR tyre, the VRF 59/80R63 with a diameter of more than 4 metres, designed for giant 400 ton rigid dump trucks

For more information, please go to:
http://www.bridgestonenewsroom.eu/stories/6603
http://www.bridgestonenewsroom.eu/stories/6604

Milan, April 30, 2012

The two races at the first stand-alone GP2 event followed the usual format, with a feature race including a pit stop during which at least two tyres must be changed, followed by a sprint race with no pit stops. Ambient and track temperatures in Bahrain were however a little cooler than they had been during the previous grand prix weekend.

The drivers had three sets of the Pirelli P Zero hard GP2 tyres at their disposal, along with just one set of the P Zero medium tyre. This a new measure introduced by Pirelli to GP2 this year, designed to introduce an element of strategy to the races. Knowing when to use the softer tyre proved to be key to the strategy at Sakhir, which was as usual characterised by warm temperatures and a track made dirty by sand blowing in from the surrounding desert.

Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde used the medium tyres to set his pole time of 1m42.451s in qualifying: one-tenth of a second quicker than DAMS driver and championship leader Davide Valsecchi, who had dominated the previous Bahrain weekend.

But it was Valsecchi who went on to claim his third consecutive win in the feature race, when he passed van der Garde, who was struggling with tyre wear, just before they both pitted. “As soon as van der Garde was struggling, I caught him and overtook him immediately,” said the Italian. “That gave me a bit of an advantage for the rest of the race. It’s the perfect situation to be leading before the pitstop. We were lucky, but we were also competitive.”

There was a new winner in the sprint race the following day, when Frenchman Tom Dillman claimed his first-ever GP2 victory for Rapax, after leading from pole position (the start order for race two is determined by the top eight reversed from race one) using the hard tyres. Luiz Razia was second for Arden, while a fighting drive from Valsecchi resulted in yet another podium for the Italian, reinforcing his lead of the drivers’ championship.

Dillman commented: “It felt good, but maybe because of my lack of experience I pushed a bit too much at the beginning and at the end I lost quite a lot of pace. Maybe next time I have to keep the tyres alive a bit longer, but it worked well today.

Pirelli’s racing manager Mario Isola commented: “Again, we have seen from the second races in Bahrain that the drivers have learned how to get the most out of their tyres and use their experiences from the past, even though conditions in the feature race in particular were different from what we encountered the previous weekend. Again we saw a perfect strategy from Davide Valsecchi, who was able to judge his pace perfectly during the first stint of the race and build his third consecutive victory from there, thanks also to a very effective pit stop strategy. Our emphasis with the GP2 tyres and regulations this year is to help prepare the drivers for the sort of decisions that they will have to take on a regular basis in Formula One.”

The next round of the GP2 series takes place during the same weekend as the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona from May 11-12.

According to Nissan, major refinements to the GT-R’s 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 engine resulted in an increased output of 545 horsepower – 15 hp over the last model. Similarly, torque has been increased to 463 lb-ft from 448 lb-ft. The engine is even hand-assembled in a special clean room, similar to racing powerplant construction.

To put that power into motion, Nissan worked with Dunlop to develop a tyre exclusively for the R35 GT-R which would maximize the all-wheel-drive supercar’s performance. The result was Dunlop’s SP Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT – the exclusive original equipment tyre of the 2013 Nissan GT-R.

The SP Sport Maxx GT 600 builds upon Dunlop’s strong track record of building ultra-high performance tyres. It features a high-grip, silica-reinforced tread compound, solid centre rib to help enhance steering response and driver feedback, an asymmetric tread pattern to provide a balance of performance in wet and dry conditions, and circumferential grooves to help evacuate water for enhanced wet traction. To strengthen the link between the tyre and rim, a unique bead shape was developed.

The SP Sport Maxx GT 600 also incorporates many innovative Dunlop technologies, including:
• Dunlop Self-Supporting Technology (DSST): a patented, reinforced sidewall construction designed to temporarily support the weight of the car after a loss of air pressure
• Combined Tyre Technology (CTT): allows for less tyre weight and a rounder cavity shape which helps improve ride comfort
• Jointless Band Technology: a continuous spiral fabric ply helps maintain the tyre’s shape, enabling smooth performance at high speeds
• Multi-Pitch Tread Design Technology: helps reduce noise for a quiet ride

“The Nissan GT-R represents one of the ultimate achievements in automotive performance and innovation,” said James Peate, Dunlop Communications Manager. “Nissan’s choice of the SP Sport Maxx GT 600 is evidence that Dunlop delivers the tyre technology and performance to match.”

The race-inspired tyre, tested at Germany’s famed Nurburgring, comes on the Nissan GT-R in sizes P255/40ZRF20 (front) and P285/35ZRF20 (rear).