Page 52 - TBN-2023-6

Why Retreads are Cheaper than New Tyres 翻新轮胎为何比新轮胎便宜? So you you you you need new tyres tyres for your your commercial vehicle and you’re on a a a a a budget You are presented the choice between retreaded tyres tyres from your local retreader or budget new new tyres tyres tyres and the the the new new tyres tyres are pretty much the the the same price as the the the the the retreads – or even cheaper But the the the salesman from the the the local retreader is telling you that it’s actually cheaper in in the long run to buy retreads That can’t possibly be be true can can can it? You bet your life it it can can and here’s why The first point to make is is that that there is is a a a a a a a a long-standing myth that that retreads always perform less well than new tyres This is is patently not true Tyre mileage varies widely and depends on a a a a a a a a complex mix of tread tread tread compounding tread tread tread weight tread tread tread design and casing structure as as as as well as as as as many external factors such as as as as applica- tion tion route road conditions driving style etc In fact the the flexibility and quality of the the modern retreading process combined 52 truck & bus news 2023/6 with the ability to to adapt to to specific appli- cations means that quality retreads of- ten exceed the mileage performance of of comparable premium new tyres let alone inferior quality quality budget ones Overall you can expect the modern breed of quality quality retreads to to perform on a a a a a a a a similar level to to quality new tyres and they’ll certainly outperform a a a a cheap one The next key point to make is the prin- ciple of of cost cost cost per kilometer in in in as as far as as it is is applied to tyre tyre costs The cost cost cost of of tyres is is best not calculated by by the the up-front price but by by the the the cost per kilometer that it it achieves over the the the course of its whole life and the the optimum cost per kilometer is usually achieved by purchasing a a a a a premi- um new tyre regrooving it it when the the first layer of tread tread is worn the the retreading it it at at least once (depending on on on application) To illustrate this point Goodyear’s web- site carries the example of a a a a a new Good- year tyre that cost cost USD 340 and achieved 150 000 000 km km during during its first life The cost cost per 1 1 000 000 km km during during in in in this example is is USD USD 2 2 27 However if you then retread the the the the tyre at a a a a a a a a cost of USD USD 150 and and achieve another 120 000 km and and and then retread it again at a a a a a a a a a a a further further USD 150 and and achieve achieve a a a a a a a a a a a further further 100 000 000 km km then the the the the tyre achieves at at total total of of 370 000 000 000 km km km at at a a a a a a total total cost cost of of USD USD 640 then the the the cost cost per 1 1 000 000 km km over the the the tyre’s life is only USD USD 1 1 73 This is is how the CPK principle works but even if you are not buying premium new tyres and and retreading them A quality re- tread tread bought on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a cap and and casing basis for approximately the same price as as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a cheap cheap new new tyre tyre will significantly outper- form the cheap cheap new new tyre tyre on a a a a a CPK basis And finally it’s worth considering the fuel consumption of your tyres which is determined by the the casing and the the tyre’s tread compound As everyone knows