It all started in early 2019 for TVS Srichakra to expand and concrete its position on the international turf. The tyre company opened its research and development facility in Milan, Italy in early 2019, and then in August, TVS Tyre rebranded to TVS Eurogrip with the introduction of 19 premium tyres. Since then, the company has been aggressive in enhancing its R&D and testing capabilities and market presence globally. According to V Sivaramakrishnan, CTO, TVS Srichakra, the new brand and new product launches such as zero-degree steel-belted radials, new product lines in tubeless bias have appealed to the trade and its customers alike with increasing traction in the market.

However, TVS Srichakra’s new product launch plans did get impacted due to Covid. As the industry started seeing a revival in demand, in March 2021, TVS Eurogrip launched 11 new products which cater to a wide range, from commute to high-performance bikes as well as electric three-wheelers. This year, the Indian two-wheeler major plans to introduce more products designed and developed in the company’s R&D centre in Milan, Italy for the Indian market. More than two dozen products are in the pipeline for future catering to ‘untapped opportunities’. The company will also start its business in APAC and MEA. “Our Milan R&D centre plays a vital role in defining product target performances, product concept design, technical features and organisation of testing sessions that are held on European roads and racetracks. The Milan team and our R&D centre in Madurai work closely in defining the product specifications and technical aspects while creating new products,” said Sivaramakrishnan.

“Establishing our direct presence in developed and growing markets is an important step for us towards building Eurogrip as a strong global brand. It goes hand in hand with the research studies we’ve been conducting on new technologies, which will benefit all markets, including India. With our expertise as a manufacturer of two-wheeler tyres for over three decades, we are confident of making a mark in developed markets, and we look forward to the future growth potential,” added Sivaramakrishnan.

Its recent offering – e-Conta and e-Durapro – for e-rickshaws, according to the company, has garnered a positive response. TVS is planning to introduce a set of new tyre patterns and sizes specially designed to cater to electric two-wheelers in the coming months.

“The company focuses on its research and development efforts in continuously improving the bike and scooter performance for India and global markets. We have developed a range of high-performance radial tyres suitable for the Indian market. TVS Srichakra  is the only company in India to have the entire range of radial technology such as textile cross belted, zero degree textile and zero degree steel,” said Sivaramakrishnan. 

TVS Eurogrip is also developing a range of high performance zero degree steel- belted radial tyres  for Europe and other markets.

Bounce Back With Changes In Trends

Covid has changed the dynamics of the two-wheeler industry. After a setback last year, the motorcycle industry is bouncing back, and a complete recovery is expected in the next three years.

In the luxury travel markets, the company sees an average gradual decrease of displacement and an increase of scooter and street models. In contrast, in the utility markets, there is a gradual increase in displacement and increased models variety and segmentation.

According to the company, the utility vehicle-driven market is growing in the fast-growing economies. It is predominant by personal two-wheelers, consisting mainly of scooters, mopeds and motorcycles with low average displacement and higher average mileage for commuting purposes, whereas in luxury vehicle markets, personal two-wheelers are used for commuting and leisure purposes and as a status symbol.

“Compared to the Indian bike market, bikes in the leisure market such as the US are used mainly for free time purposes by riders with a much higher and ever-increasing average age. As a result, the leisure markets have seen reduced usage and a lower propensity to buy a replacement bike. To tackle this, bike makers are focusing on less represented groups – young people and female riders. An increasing number of manufacturers have recently released various models in 200 to 450 cc range and electric mobility. Compared to the traditional 600 to 1200 cc  markets , these midsize motorcycles are lighter, less expensive, easier to ride and on par with their bigger brothers in terms of quality, style and tech equipment. While more and more manufacturers develop and release these models for leisure markets, we expect that their availability will also reach India and other Asian markets,” said a TVS Eurogrip official.

Push For Electric Mobility

Though slower compared to the e-passenger car industry, the electric two-wheeler industry is gaining traction worldwide. Banning ICE-driven two-wheelers in coming decades, stricter regulations on pollution and improving technologies like longer battery duration and charging infrastructure will further fuel demand for electric mobility in two-wheelers.

“To get behind this moment, an increasing number of motorcycles and scooters are being launched to satisfy customers’ expectations. Alongside, traditional manufacturers are enlarging the capability to include electric vehicles. Many new players are emerging with an exclusive focus on the segment,” added the official.

Eurogrip Product Development for Global Market

To boost its international growth, TVS Srichakra is launching several new products aimed to fit vehicles and riders worldwide. In 2021, the company has launched Bee Connect and Bee City. In 2022, the company will launch the Climber XC for the off-road segment, which will target Motocross and Enduro vehicles. The company will also launch the Road Hound. These tyres will be for the sport-touring segment, which will target naked, sports and tourers. It will also launch the BEE Sports for the sport commuting segment to cover scooters and underbones. Going forward, it will target super sports, medium & big trail and cruiser & heavy tourers.

Testing Capabilities

Today, the company has test tracks in Madurai for testing handling performance and grip in wet and dry conditions on various surfaces such as asphalt, concrete etc. with different friction coefficients. It has its own indoor durability laboratory for tyres, which is capable of testing tyres up to speeds of 300 kmph, and indoor tyre characteristics laboratory, which is capable of accurately measuring tyre rolling resistance, 3-axis stiffness, tyre force and moment characteristics, footprint pressure distribution etc.

“Finite Element Methods (FEM) and Multi-Body Dynamics (MBD) are two focus areas for us, where we use internally developed methods to predict the performance of the tyre on a standalone basis using FEM and simulate driveability performance using MBD. With such simulation tools, we can get the right tread pattern, tyre construction and compound combination to deliver precision performance,” said the company CTO.

The company’s research and development activities are focused on reducing the impact on the environment and maximising performance for end customers. “We continuously explore and adopt technologies which enable us to use recycled material, biodegradable material and reduce energy consumption in tyre production. We have many patents filed in this area,” added Sivaramakrishnan. (TT)

Pirelli is all set to become the official tyre supplier to MotoGP from 2027. A new five-year agreement is in the works and will see the Italian tyre company become the single tyre supplier for the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 categories.

With the new MotoGP bikes and technical regulations scheduled to take effect in 2027, the approach of using a single supplier will offer the ideal progression ladder for the future champions to refine their skills while advancing to the top. Pirelli currently supplies tyres for Moto2 and Moto3 categories. With the new development, Pirelli will expand its presence to MotoGP and into MotoE, the electric world championship.

Michelin will remain the exclusive supplier for MotoGP and MotoE until the end of the current technical regulations at the close of the 2026 season, continuing to provide technical support, its products and world class technology over the next two seasons.

Nexen Tire’s NBlue 4S Van tyre has won the Best Light Commercial Tire award at the 22nd edition of the Tire of the Year Awards.

Neumáticos & Mecánica Rápida organised the esteemed awards ceremony, which took place on 30 January at the Novotel Madrid Center hotel. It honoured the top tyres of 2024 in the passenger vehicle, SUV, truck and agricultural tyre divisions. Key figures from the business, including executives from well-known tyre manufacturers such as Pirelli, Continental, Yokohama, Michelin and Bridgestone, attended the event. Raúl Jiménez, Nexen Tire’s Business Development Director for Iberia, accepted the award on behalf of the company from Eusebio Albert, Director of the Transport area at Versys Ediciones.

The NBlue 4S Van, a tyre made to satisfy the exacting requirements of commercial fleets and drivers, is recognised for its superior performance, safety and fuel efficiency with the Best Light Commercial Tire award. This accolade comes as Nexen Tire solidifies its position as a top producer of premium tyres by expanding its footprint in Europe and throughout the world.

Jiménez said, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious award, which is a testament to our ongoing dedication to providing award-winning products for our customers. The NBlue 4S Van is designed to offer superior performance and durability, and this recognition reinforces our commitment to delivering the best solutions to the commercial sector.”

Pirelli is mulling expansion of its tyre production capacity in the US to offset the impact of US tariffs that came into effect from 4 March, company executives said on a 2024 financial results call.

The company has a contingency plan in place to deal with the US imposing 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada. CFO Andrea Casaluci clarified that although Pirelli's US business accounted for over 20 percent of company sales, the amount of tyre manufacture there is restricted. The company's Georgia plant can produce about 400,000 tyres annually. Pirelli imports about half of its US supply from Mexico and around 40 percent from Brazil and Europe in order to fulfil market demand in the US.

Pirelli has a backup plan to boost imports from Brazil and expand US production capacity in order to lessen the effects of tariffs. According to the CFO, the Italian tyre manufacturer has already begun modernising the automated MIRS production processes in Georgia. This will serve as the foundation for the initial phase of capacity development in the US.

Additionally, the inflationary scenario will be used to examine the group's commercial approach. The CFO stated that since 30 percent of the US tyre market is imported, some inflationary pressure is to be expected in the wake of tariffs. The contingency plan also includes cost-cutting measures, in addition to the EUR 150 million in savings in 2025 that are anticipated under its industrial plan.

Nokian Tyres has launched the Seasonproof 2 all-season tyre for the Central European market to provide top-class safety on snow and slush as well as exceptional performance in summer for its customers.

The all-season Seasonproof 2 was created to satisfy the demands of drivers in Central and South Europe. By the fall of 2025, the product line will be accessible to customers in sizes for contemporary passenger cars, SUVs and CUVs. All-season tyres are made to function safely in Central European circumstances throughout the four seasons. The Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2 is legally certified for winter use since it bears the Snowflake emblem (3PMSF). 

The tyre range includes up to 38 percent recycled, renewable and ISCC PLUS certified materials, with two percent coming from bio-based, bio-circular and/or circular feedstock that has been certified using the ISCC PLUS mass balanced technique. The introduction is a significant step toward the company's non-financial goal of increasing the proportion of recycled and renewable raw materials in its products to 50 percent by 2030. Additionally, it is the first tyre range available on the market to be manufactured in Nokia's new Romanian facility, the first fully operational tyre factory with zero CO2 emissions.

Tommi Alhola, Senior Vice President of Passenger Car Tyres, Central Europe for Nokian Tyres, said, “Central Europe is an important strategic growth area for Nokian Tyres. Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2 is produced in our zero CO2 emission tyre factory in Oradea, Romania, close to the Central European consumers and customers. Furthermore, launching a tyre range using up to 38 percent renewable, recycled and ISCC PLUS certified materials takes us significantly closer to our goal of using 50 percent renewable and recycled materials in our tyres by 2030.”

Teemu Soini, Vice President of Innovations and Development at Nokian Tyres, said, “By incorporating renewable materials, we have been able to boost the tyre’s performance while also lowering the rolling resistance. We are committed to finding renewable or recycled options for traditional fossil-based materials, and together with various partners keep researching for new innovative options.”