Bridgestone Americas has unveiled its latest speciality tyre, the V-Steel Highway Service 3 (VHS3), engineered specifically for the demanding requirements of mobile and all-terrain cranes. This high-speed radial tyre is designed to provide fleets with exceptional control and stability during critical lifting operations and when navigating between highway and off-road conditions. The introduction of the VHS3 highlights the company's continued focus on advancing mobility technology across various sectors.

Fully approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, this new model surpasses the previous VHS2 tyre and will directly replace it. The VHS3 offers a 12 percent increase in overall tyre life, achieved through a proprietary rubber compound and sidewall design that effectively reduces heat buildup and irregular wear. Its tread features wide grooves and extended lugs for enhanced grip on all surfaces, and a lighter casing structure promotes better fuel economy while maintaining full load capacity.

Available in size 445/95R25 174F, this addition strengthens Bridgestone’s diverse portfolio of premium tyres for specialised vehicles, including container handlers, reach stackers and articulated trucks.

Rob Seibert, President, Off-the-Road, Bridgestone Americas, said, “Mobile and all-terrain cranes arguably tackle some of the most demanding and high-stakes work of any of the off-the-road machines. Crane operators lift and transport heavy materials across job sites and travel at high speeds on different terrains, making a reliable and durable tyre essential for any large-scale project. The new Bridgestone VHS3 tyre is designed to give crane operators the confidence needed to move more, faster.”

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Michelin has been named the Official Tyre Partner of the newly formed Apex One Endurance Series. This alliance will see the tyre manufacturer supply its race-proven technology to all competitors throughout the championship. The collaboration highlights Michelin's deep-rooted dedication to endurance racing, a discipline where tyre durability, efficiency and consistent performance are fundamental to team strategy and on-track success.

The series itself is a joint venture between American testing and racing event organiser Apex One and Creventic, a Dutch promoter renowned for its European endurance events. The competition will adhere to Creventic's FIA-approved 24H Series regulations and use a circuit-specific balance of performance. A diverse multi-class field will include various categories such as homologated GT3 cars, a class for the Porsche GT3 Cup 992 and a TC4 class for production-based racecars. The series will also feature a TCE class for touring cars and other specified models.

The series will debut with a two-round winter schedule, commencing at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway with the Sebring 10H from 20–23 November 2025. The second event, the COTA 12H, is scheduled for 5–8 February 2026 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. This round will feature a unique split format, with seven hours of racing on Saturday followed by a further five hours on Sunday. Designed as a launching platform, the Apex One Endurance Series aims to provide a competitive proving ground for both amateur drivers and emerging young professionals.

Raymond Cotton, Motorsports Director, Michelin North America, Inc, said, “Endurance racing pushes vehicles and tyres to their absolute limits, making it the ultimate stage to showcase Michelin’s technology, innovation and pursuit of sustainable mobility. This new partnership with Apex One reflects that dedication and compliments Michelin’s existing global racing initiatives.”

Daniel Bloom, President, APEX One, said, “Having Michelin as our Official Tyre Partner elevates the Apex One Endurance Series to new heights. Michelin’s track record in endurance racing is unmatched, and their expertise ensures our teams and drivers will experience the highest standard of competition and performance.”

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Nynas has earned the prestigious EcoVadis Platinum medal, a distinction that ranks it within the top one percent of all companies evaluated globally for its sustainability efforts. This elite status underscores Nynas' profound and ongoing commitment to responsible operations and transparent advancements in its environmental, ethical, labour, human rights and procurement practices.

This accolade is reinforced by the company's continuous development of sustainable solutions, such as its latest Nynas EVO product line. The recognition from EcoVadis validates Nynas' long-term dedication to its sustainability journey and intensifies its resolve to create responsible value for every stakeholder, customer and society as a whole.

Eric Gosse, President & CEO, Nynas AB, said, “Moving to platinum is exactly the path we want to take. Earning this rating from EcoVadis is a significant milestone for Nynas. It reflects the dedication of teams across our organisation to integrate sustainability into our strategy, operations and value chain. We remain committed to improving our environmental and social impact while upholding the highest ethical standards.”

Marika Rangstedt, Sustainability Manager, Nynas AB, said, “Expanding our portfolio with products like Nynas EVO demonstrates that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand. This platinum rating reinforces our commitment to developing solutions that not only meet the highest quality standards but also reduce environmental impact across both the customer and our value chain.”

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Hankook Tire is significantly elevating its presence in the European electric vehicle market by becoming the Headline Sponsor for ‘Everything Electric FARNBOROUGH 2025’. This event, the United Kingdom's premier electric vehicle exhibition organised by the specialist outlet Fully Charged, will take place on 11th and 12th October at the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre. By taking on this leading role, Hankook aims to deepen its engagement with both the UK EV industry and consumers, building on its initial participation in the previous year.

Central to this strategy is the company's dedicated iON brand, which represents the world's first comprehensive tyre line-up engineered specifically for electric vehicles. At its exhibition booth, Hankook will provide visitors with direct access to its advanced EV tyre technologies. The display will feature the full iON portfolio, including high-performance models like the iON evo and iON GT, alongside the versatile all-weather iON FlexClimate. The company will also showcase the GEN3 Evo iON Race tyre, the official racing tyre developed for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, underscoring its high-performance credentials.

Beyond the product showcase, the sponsorship includes creating interactive and relaxing experiences for attendees. A key attraction will be the ‘Formula E Gaming Zone’, where visitors can participate in a digital challenge to differentiate between iON and Formula E tyres on large LED screens. Furthermore, Hankook will sponsor café and lounge spaces, such as the ‘Electric Café’, designed to offer a welcoming atmosphere while subtly integrating iON branding to foster a stronger connection with the brand.

This headline sponsorship is a continuation of Hankook's strategic efforts to cement its status as a leader in the EV tyre market. The company has consistently demonstrated its technological prowess, earning top rankings in independent tyre tests conducted by WhatTyre, Auto Bild and TÜV SÜD. Looking ahead, Hankook Tire plans to continue this momentum by actively promoting its iON technology at major EV events across Europe, reinforcing its unified global brand and deepening its relationship with local customers.

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Japan’s Toyo Tire Corporation said it would establish a new research and development centre at its Serbian factory by January 2027, whilst shutting its German facility by the end of 2026, as part of efforts to streamline its European operations.

The new R&D laboratories, to be built on the premises of Toyo Tire’s Serbia factory in the municipality of Indjija, will span approximately 4,600 square metres and serve as the company’s European hub for tyre development and materials research.

The move marks a strategic consolidation for the Itami City-based manufacturer, which currently operates R&D centres in Japan, the United States and Germany. The Serbian facility will complete what the company describes as a “global trilateral framework” for research collaboration across three continents.

Toyo Tire President and Chief Executive Takashi Shimizu said the company would focus on developing “new rubber compounds and materials, as well as advancing mixing technology” at the Serbian centre to enhance both productivity and tyre performance.

The facility will concentrate on processing technology, which the company has identified as crucial for meeting increasingly complex and contradictory performance requirements in modern tyre manufacturing. These include lower rolling resistance, higher wet and snow performance, reduced weight, and improved wear resistance.

The Serbian site offers a particular advantage with its on-site proving ground, enabling immediate vehicle testing that is expected to shorten development cycles, the company said.

Toyo Tire, which opened its North American R&D centre in January 2019 and the German facility in November that year, has identified three areas of differentiation: advanced design, customer-oriented product development, and next-generation technology aligned with future societal needs.

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