How will the collaboration with Michelin influence the future of the company? What vision do the companies share?

Michelin evaluated our recovered carbon black material in 2016. Since then, they have made significant testing of quite large volumes of our material over time to evaluate its consistency and quality. This is probably the most important parameter for any tyre manufacturer to use recovered carbon black. The interest in the technology itself started to grow as they saw that the performance of the recovered carbon black material was quite impressive. Over time, they started doing due diligence on the technology during those years. We intensified the negotiations in the early stages of 2020 and finally entered into a partnership agreement in April where Michelin invested 20 percent in Enviro. But, that was only one part of the partnership we envisioned. We also had, from the beginning, discussions about how we can provide the technology as a part of their solution to build a business model around mining tyres. This way, they could also offer their mining customers a solution for the recovery of the mining tyres. In that aspect, we negotiated regarding a joint plant project we are currently building in the Antofagasta region of Chile. We are also preparing the permitting for a plant in Uddevalla, Sweden, of 60,000-tonne ELT capacity for car and truck tyres.

In addition to that, we evaluate different technology experiences from both sides where we contribute with our experience in pyrolysis and treating end-of-life tyres in a professional way. Michelin is contributing with their extensive knowledge about developing and innovation into industrial capacity plants. What we have is a very intense collaboration on a more or less daily basis.

Going forward, we see that Michelin has a strategic ambition to replace up to 100 percent of the materials in the tyres with sustainable alternatives. Carbon black is one of the materials where we think that quite large volumes can be replaced over time. They're also involved in replacement and development of different types of oils in the tyres. From Michelin’s side, I think they have a wider interest in the recovery of all the materials in the tyres. This also aligns with our interest since we are recovering tyre pyrolysis oil and doing that quite successfully. We expect more plans in collaboration with Michelin in one way or another. Their investment in our company and the clear engagement in showing the market that they're using our material in motorcycle racing tyres in Moto E and in performance tyres for racing cars is helping us to get the acknowledgement in the market. This is important for our growth and our expansion plan.

How are you matching the quality and consistency of the recovered carbon black to virgin carbon black? Can you also please elaborate on the collaboration with AnvaPolytech, where Enviro completely replaced virgin carbon black used in Volvo's rubber components back in 2015?

We are using our patented batch process, which is a fixed batch process. The technology that we are using was developed for over 20 years to maintain control of the pyrolysis process. We can make sure that the result of the pyrolysis in the material is consistent, which means that we are not creating new carbon, as you easily do when you have a continuous process, and we are making sure that the pyrolysis process has evaporated all the volatiles out of the carbon fraction. This is very important and we control this with the system in multiple parameters that we measure during the process. We also have a significant quality control system downstream. So, in the post process of the pyrolysis, we do multiple quality checks. Before each shipment, we have ASTM standard controls for about 10 different parameters where we compare to the industry ASTM standard normally used for carbon black. There are a few ASTM measurements used for virgin carbon black that are not applicable for all recovered carbon black products, but the majority of the tests can be similar and we keep a very high consistency there. This is also one of the main achievements of the company since January 2016. We made the first commercial delivery to AnvaPolytech and they are a rubber component supplier to Volvo Cars. They have been involved with us before the commercial deliveries in the research and development of the material for rubber components. They were also involved in lots of different types of testing, where meeting the automotive standard for EPDM rubber components was a very significant part, and also got the final approval from Volvo Cars to replace the material. Since 2016, we have replaced 100 percent carbon black in those components with our material. I think it's now more than 100 million components delivered from Anva to Volvo Cars.

The gas produced during the pyrolysis process is used to fuel the machinery itself. Is there a commercial value for the gas in this market and are you exploring those business verticals?

It is a very valid question; we are producing new pyrolysis gas, and in the process, we condense out the oil, but there will be a fraction of gas that is not condensable. That gas is the excess gas that we use for the next pyrolysis phase. In our current plant at Åsensbruk, we use the excess gas and part of the oil to power the main process and the post process for heating purposes. In the new plants we will be building, for instance, one in Sweden, we plan to start production in the fourth quarter of 2023, where we will use green energy from wind, solar, water and waste to provide energy. In this case, the excess gas will be used only to heat the dryer system in the post process. Does it have a commercial value? I think some markets do; it might be used also in-turn to produce energy or electricity, but at the moment, this is not something that we are exploring further in detail.

The company recently received two ISCC certifications, one for the pyrolysis oil and the other for the carbon black. What were the challenges in earning the certifications and are there any other benchmarks that you're targeting for any other product in the future?

We are very proud to be the first to achieve the certification for the recovered carbon black. It is an important step for both the certification and for us as a company. We are already seeing some of the players in the tyre industry looking to certify according to ISCC now. This means that there will be a higher value in connection to using that type of material. There are always challenges with being certified and the most challenging maybe is to follow the certification requirements in terms of how, when and where to measure. We need to make sure that this is something that we can live up to when we are audited annually. We must also commit resources and capabilities to do this. We also needed to involve our supplier of tyre material, which, in Sweden, are Ragn-Sells. They are also audited by the certifier.

Enviro was evaluating business prospects in India. What is the current status of opening a full-size plant? Pyrolysis is banned in India across almost all states by the pollution board, and we're seeing various companies being ordered to shut down plants. Where does Enviro fit in and what are the developments?

Yes, we have been conducting meetings together with the Swedish Energy Agency, Swedish Export Organization, Business Sweden and a few other organisations including India-Sweden Innovations Accelerator and Confederation of Indian Industry in India. We have been exploring the Indian market for many multiple axles, and during the last two years, we are meeting with all the major tyre producers, both local and international. We are meeting with oil companies downstream who are potential customers for oil. We are meeting with waste treatment and tyre treatment companies locally and also making presentations to most local governments. However, we feel it is a bit too early for us to enter India on a more massive basis.

We have decided strategically that we will start with Europe followed by probably the US in the next phase. I think that will help India to monitor what is happening with the technology and how it can be a part of the system in those markets. We can then use that as a showcase for creating a sustainable and long-term system for the Indian market. We hope that this display of the system will be appreciated by the players in India to implement and also be some kind of inspiration to make that happen. In regards to pyrolysis being banned, I think it's probably a very correct decision because the pyrolysis technologies that we have seen being used in India are mainly Chinese versions where the environmental 360-degree impact has not really been considered. I think it was a very necessary decision.

The system for import and collecting for the pyrolysis industry was not really in place at that moment. But I think we can showcase together with a few of our peers in the European market that batch pyrolysis process and pyrolysis in general can be made with a very sustainable and safe technology with the highest possible emission control systems. We are hoping that by setting an example in Europe and showing both the technology and the system, maybe we will enter India in the next five years.

What are some of the constraints that you see in entering the Indian market?

I think one constraint that we are struggling with – mainly in Europe, but also in other markets – is that end-of-life tyres are viewed purely as waste materials. To really get our authorities and government regulators to understand that we are making a transition of waste materials into something that can sustainably replace fossil resources is a challenge. We are in the right direction. ISCC certification is one step.

Reach of the materials is another step. I think that transition to get aligned with the current legislation in many countries is still a hurdle. Even if it's improving, making this kind of large transition of an industry that is not really present at the moment requires financial support. Financial investors need to be willing to take a little bit of a risk to make the industry change as rapidly as it needs to. It's not enough for the tyre industry if there is one company able to provide the small volume to the market; they need multiple suppliers and large volumes to replace larger volumes of virgin material. The volume is a constraint itself. We hope, together with Michelin and other parties that we're working with, to provide larger volumes in the coming 10 years. Our ambition is to establish at least 30 plants globally in the coming decade. We also hope that our competitors are also successful in India.

What potential do you see in the Indian market, being one of the biggest automotive markets in the world, in terms of government support or the infrastructure for the products Enviro produces?

One of the opportunities is the growing automotive market. There is also a foundation of industry there in India for a long time. There is a tradition to produce tyres with a lot of knowledge, research and development around tyres and rubber materials, which I think is a very interesting potential itself. The competence around the materials in India is significant. I think the size of the market itself is an opportunity. If you choose to see the immaturity of the collection system as an opportunity, which I do, I think there is a lot of potential to establish from ground-up, a workable system with different stakeholders where I think local and national government needs to play a role, but it needs to be still on market conditions. I think the model that we will be showcasing in Europe will be attractive for both the government and local private stakeholders like the tyre industry and rubber industry.

In a broader sense, what is the future for the company and what are your goals? What are you excited about?

There are very clear targets from the tyre industry since they are consuming more than 70 to 80 percent of the carbon black material in the world. We have very clear targets for replacing fossil-originated materials with recovered or sustainable materials. We are very excited about the volume potential we see there. We have started to take steps in that direction with multiple tyre producers. The regulation in Europe and other countries to reduce the fossil content in oil products and chemical products is very positive for us. ISCC is a very important tool for the market to implement recovered and bio-based materials which have tax incentives. These enable us to launch our expansion plan, which, as I mentioned, is for the next 10 years to open 30 plants globally. We are excited that we are now in the position to work in establishing one plant with Michelin in Chile and in parallel a plant in Sweden with more or less the same time scheduled to start production. In the pipeline, we have several very interesting projects building up.

Are there other manufacturers or automotive players that are satisfied with the level of quality in your recovered carbon black? Are there any projects in the pipeline?

We have seen the interest significantly increasing in suppliers to the automotive industries and to other core manufacturers since we got the ISCC certificate for our products. But I think that we could better market what we have achieved together with Volvo in order to really get the other car brands into using more of our material. I think we have some homework to do there, because what we do is too little known to them at the moment. So there is work to be done there. We know we can achieve it. We should focus on letting them know what we can do. We are working with some other automotive manufacturers not only for the recovered carbon black but also to help them achieve their zero-emission objectives. So that could be related to oil, carbon black, steel and potentially other materials such as carbon fibre, for instance. (MT)

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Pirelli has made its P Zero R and P Zero Trofeo RS tyres available in the replacement market, bringing the expertise gained from custom fitments for the world’s most prestigious and high-performance vehicles to a broader audience of enthusiasts seeking to unlock their car’s full potential. Developed alongside leading luxury automakers and already fitted to over 60 models – from European supercars to American muscle cars – these two tyres stand as the pinnacle of the P Zero range. Their exceptional quality was recently validated by the independent publication Tyre Reviews, which named the P Zero R the top performance tyre of 2026, describing the achievement as an impressive victory rooted in its outstanding capability across both dry and wet conditions.

Pirelli designed the P Zero R primarily for sportscars and high-end prestige models, while the P Zero Trofeo RS serves as a semi-slick aimed at delivering sustained maximum performance on the track for supercars, all while remaining road-legal. The P Zero R achieves its versatility through advanced compounds that ensure strong grip on various asphalt surfaces and in changing weather, with particular emphasis on wet-road confidence, while its tread pattern reduces interior noise. These attributes were confirmed by Tyre Reviews, which ranked the P Zero R first among eight ultra-high-performance summer tyres in its category, leading in dry braking and handling, excelling in wet handling and receiving praise for inspiring confidence even in extreme driving scenarios. Meanwhile, the Trofeo RS is defined by its ability to maintain consistent high performance across many demanding track laps, a capability demonstrated through record-setting runs on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Pirelli refines these tyres using its Milan-based R&D simulator for virtual development, with production carried out by MIRS robots at its Italian plant in Settimo Torinese and its facility in Rome, Georgia, the latter specialising in replacement tyres for the American market, particularly sportscars and local muscle cars. Beyond these offerings, Pirelli continues to advance original equipment technology with solutions such as Elect for electric vehicles, RunFlat for continued mobility after pressure loss, PNCS for cabin noise reduction and the Cyber Tyre system, which uses embedded sensors to relay real-time data for enhanced safety and performance.

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Kumho Tire USA has launched its inaugural Gaining Traction Programme in collaboration with the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, selecting four competitive racers who each call Colorado home. These drivers share five years or fewer of racing experience on Pikes Peak, yet have demonstrated exceptional skill, passion, and a fearless approach to the mountain’s unique demands.

Matus Huska of Parker will compete in the Pikes Peak Open division aboard his 2010 Audi TTS, bringing four years of experience to the climb. Earl O’Maley from Colorado Springs steps up in the Open Wheel division with three years under his belt, driving his 2015 O’Maley Special Spec V. Ernie Ramirez of Aurora returns for his second year in the Time Attack division piloting a 2013 Mitsubishi Evolution, while Arvada’s Ben Ryan, an old-school racer, enters the Pikes Peak Open division in a 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner after previous Time Attack entries in 2023 and 2024.

Through this inaugural programme, Kumho Tire USA provides the racers with financial support, a supply of KUMHO V730 tyres and driver development resources. Beyond on-track benefits, the drivers will gain visibility by participating in an autograph session at the Kumho Tire booth during Fan Fest in downtown Colorado Springs, offering direct engagement with racing enthusiasts and media.

The KUMHO V730 tyre is engineered for competitive driving environments, maximising grip and handling through a racing compound that combines ultra-high grip synthetic resins with fine carbon black. Its high-strength carcass and optimised footprint design work together to manage lateral cornering forces while enhancing endurance and longevity.

Ed Cho, CEO, Kumho Tire USA, said, "Our investment in these four talented Pikes Peak drivers goes beyond mere sponsorship; it's about fostering the next generation of motorsport champions and helping them navigate the unique demands of this legendary race. Each of the selected participants demonstrates remarkable potential and a passion for racing that aligns perfectly with Kumho Tire's spirit of innovation and performance. We look forward to seeing them leverage our most advanced, high-performance tyre to achieve new milestones in their competitive careers."

Melissa Eickhoff, CEO, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, said, "Pikes Peak has long been a proving ground for talented drivers, and it's exciting to see a programme that invests directly in emerging competitors from Colorado. Through this partnership with Kumho Tire, these four drivers have the opportunity to grow their careers while contributing to the Colorado legacy that has defined the Race to the Clouds for more than a century."

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The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) has opened nominations for its 2026 Industry Leadership Awards, with a submission deadline of 24 April 2026. Honourees will be celebrated during the organisation’s Annual General Meeting in June.

Nominations are being accepted across four distinct categories – Leader of the Year, Young Leader, Lifetime Achievement and Sustainability. Anyone can put forward a candidate, though rules vary by category. Companies nominated must have a physical presence in Canada, while individuals may be based anywhere. Self-nominations are permitted only in the Sustainability category.

The Leader of the Year award recognises an individual who owns or manages a successful, innovative business within the tyre and rubber sector, including end-of-life tyre management or sustainability-focused operations. This person is known for significant contributions to their company, the wider industry and their community through time and resources devoted to social impact. Self-nominations are not allowed.

The Young Leader award celebrates inspiring leaders under the age of 40 who demonstrate excellence in management, innovation, technology or sustainability within their organisation or community. Self-nominations are not accepted.

Lifetime Achievement honours individuals with an extensive record of accomplishment, recognised by peers as builders and supporters who have made outstanding contributions and left an enduring legacy for both the industry and the broader community. Self-nominations are not accepted.

The Sustainability award is open to individuals or organisations advancing environmental, social or economic sustainability within the tyre and rubber industry. This includes end-of-life tyre management, market development for tyre-derived materials and strategic efforts such as advocacy, education or partnerships that expand end-use markets. Self-nominations are welcome.

These awards aim to highlight excellence, offering recipients a platform to raise their professional profile and stand out while celebrating dedication across the industry.

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Hankook Tire is preparing to take centre stage as the champion of TGL presented by SoFi Season 2 is decided. The highly anticipated Final Series unfolds over two days, 23 and 24 March 2026, at Florida’s SoFi Center, where the season’s defining matches will play out.

Since the 2026 season, Hankook has served as the inaugural Official Tire Partner and a Founding Partner of TGL, playing an integral role in the league’s identity. Guided by Chairman Hyunbum Cho’s emphasis on technological innovation, the brand has helped redefine sports entertainment by fusing golf with cutting-edge technology – a formula that has connected with audiences across 150 countries. During the Final Series, Hankook will maximise its premium visibility through prominent LED signage, broadcast graphics and television commercials. By standing alongside PGA stars at this historic moment, the company continues to strengthen its global premium reputation.

The championship showdown features Los Angeles Golf Club and Jupiter Links GC. Los Angeles earned its place by defeating reigning champions Atlanta Drive GC, while Jupiter Links advanced with an upset over regular-season leaders Boston Common Golf. Los Angeles enters with a formidable roster including Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Sahith Theegala and Tommy Fleetwood, having led the regular season in Triples Team Sessions, average driving distance, and fairway accuracy. Jupiter Links, anchored by Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner, showcased strategic dominance by topping the league in Singles Team Sessions and successful Hammer plays.

With both teams making their first Final Series appearance, a fierce battle for the inaugural title awaits. Hankook will be embedded at the heart of this milestone, further cementing its global integrated brand identity in the minds of golf fans worldwide.

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