Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has unveiled a demonstration tyre comprising 90 percent sustainable materials. This demonstration tyre has passed all applicable regulatory testing as well as Goodyear’s internal testing.

Bringing a 90 percent sustainable-material tyre to market will require further collaboration with the company’s supply base to identify the scale necessary for these innovative materials to produce that specific tyre at high volumes.

Goodyear claims that this demonstration tyre also tested to have lower rolling resistance when compared to the reference tyre made with traditional materials. Lower rolling resistance means the demonstration tyre has the potential to offer better fuel savings and carbon footprint reduction.

The tyre company states that the 90 percent sustainable-material demonstration tyre includes 17 featured ingredients across 12 different components, including –

• Carbon black, which is included in tyres for compound reinforcement and to help increase their life, has traditionally been made by burning various types of petroleum products. The demonstration tyre features four different types of carbon black that are produced from methane, carbon dioxide, plant-based oil and end-of-life tyre pyrolysis oil feedstocks. These carbon black technologies target reduced carbon emissions, circularity and the use of bio-based carbons, while still delivering on performance.

• As per Goodyear, the use of soybean oil in this demonstration tyre helps keep the tyre’s rubber compound pliable in changing temperatures. Soybean oil is a bio-based resource that helps reduce Goodyear’s use of petroleum-based products. The tyre manufacturing company claims that while nearly 100 percent of soy protein is used in food/animal feed applications, a significant surplus of oil is left over and available for use in industrial applications.

• Silica is an ingredient often used in tyres to help improve grip and reduce fuel consumption. According to Goodyear, the demonstration tyre includes a high-quality silica produced from rice husk waste residue (RHA silica), a by-product of rice processing that is often discarded and put into landfills.

• Resins are used to help improve and enhance tyre traction performance. In the demonstration tyre, Goodyear states that traditional petroleum-based resins are replaced with bio-renewable pine tree resins.

• Bead wire and steel cords provide reinforcement in the structure of a radial tyre. The tyre manufacturer claims that the demonstration tyre uses bead wire and steel cord from steel with high recycled content, which is produced using the electric arc furnace (EAF) process. The utilisation of the EAF process allows for steel to be produced with reduced energy use and higher recycled content. The EAF process has the potential for lower greenhouse gas emissions in comparison with steel produced using a blast furnace.

• Goodyear claims that ISCC certified mass balance polymers from bio and bio-circular feedstock are also included in this tyre.

In addition, after announcing the capability to demonstrate a 70 percent sustainable-material tyre in January 2022, Goodyear, working with its supply base, plans to sell a tyre with up to 70 percent sustainable-material content in 2023. With the introduction of a tyre with up to 70 percent sustainable-material content, the company claims that it is demonstrating tangible commitment with in-market solutions to building a better future. The tyre manufacturing company states that consumers interested in purchasing this tyre can register for updates at Goodyear.com/SustainableMaterialTire.

“We continue to make progress towards our goal of introducing the first 100 percent sustainable-material tyre in the industry by 2030,” said Chris Helsel, Senior Vice-President, Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer at Goodyear. “The past year was a pivotal one toward achieving this goal. We researched new technologies, identified opportunities for further collaboration and utilised our team’s tenacity to not only demonstrate our capabilities to produce a 90 percent sustainable-material tyre, but to also produce a tyre with up to 70 percent sustainable-material content this year. Our team continues to showcase its innovation and commitment to building a better future.”

As part of a strategic effort to increase its presence in the region's premium original equipment (OE) market, Kumho Tire has confirmed its plans to establish its first tyre production facility in Europe by 2027.

The company has shortlisted Poland, Serbia and Portugal as possible locations for the plant, which is projected to need an investment of more than KRW1 trillion (USD 705 million). The decision is closely linked to Kumho’s ambition to strengthen its partnerships with European automakers and was revealed by Kumho Tire CEO during the South Korean premiere of Kumho's new Ecsta Sport tyre line.

Kumho has recently secured OE supply contracts with major brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen Group. At the moment, Kumho runs eight tyre production plants in China, Vietnam, South Korea and the US. Its capacity to compete in the premium OE market, however, has come to be perceived as being constrained by the absence of a European production base. Through the benefits of local production, the new facility will improve response to European client requests, save freight costs and shorten delivery times, all of which will strengthen the company's partnerships.

Sentury Tire USA has opened pre-enrolment for its two associate dealer programmes (ADPs), the Delinte HYPERDRIVE Associate Dealer Program and the Landsail Elyte Associate Dealer Program, underscoring the company’s commitment to rewarding dedication and partnership to the Landsail and Delinte brands.

The ADPs, which are customised for each brand and intended to encourage dealers, will formally start on 1 June 2025. Both programmes give dealers access to special benefits, incentives and strong tools to help them expand their businesses. This involves dependable customer service, effective marketing and worthwhile financial incentives to promote dealers' success at every stage.

Beginning in Q3, dealers may earn up to USD three per tyre through the Delinte HYPERDRIVE Associate Dealer Program. Dealers can receive retroactive benefits for purchases completed in Q2 if they register before 1 June. The awards are available for all Delinte PTR, LTR and the new DV3 LMD AS last-mile delivery tyres. For all Landsail PTR and LTR tyres, independent dealers that sign up for the Landsail Elyte Associate Dealer Program can also earn up to USD three per tyre. For customers who sign up by June 1, the new LMD 100 AS last-mile delivery is also eligible for the benefits and will get the same early bird incentive for Q2 2025.

No initial order is necessary. Dealers only need to register to begin making money. According to the monthly programme rewards structure, 48 tyre purchases each month are eligible for a reward of USD one per tyre, 120 tyres are eligible for a reward of USD two per tyre and 240 or more tyres are eligible for a reward of USD three per tyre.

ENSO, a London-based tyre manufacturer engaged in the production of sustainable tyres specially designed for electric vehicles (EVs), has launched its new ENSO Premium range of EV-specific ultra-high-performance (UHP) tyres aimed at drivers of high-performance EVs such as the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

Specifically designed for electric passenger vehicles, the ENSO Premium range comes with A/A EU-label ratings for both energy efficiency and wet grip. The tyres are designed to provide safety, increased range and a reduced total cost of ownership. Conventional tyre designs frequently fall short of the special performance needs of electric vehicles, which include greater vehicle weight, regenerative braking and higher torque loads. By lowering tyre wear and rolling resistance, ENSO Premium takes care of these issues.

The company is an authorised provider of replacement tyres for LEVC's electric taxis and has partnered with Uber to install its tyres in high-mileage metropolitan areas. The company now plans to grow throughout Europe and North America, and with ENSO Premium, it is now offering its services to individual EV owners throughout the United Kingdom. According to ENSO, the range offers advantages including longer tyre life and fewer replacements, lower energy usage, fewer charging stops and lower CO₂ emissions and tyre particle pollution.

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, CEO and Co-Founder, ENSO, said, “We’re plugging a long-standing gap in the tyre market by offering EV drivers a purpose-built, affordable, premium EV tyre alternative that matches the innovation of their EV.”

Kraton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value bio-based products derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has announced a general price hike in North America for its SBS, SIS and HSBC product lines with effect from 1 May 2025.

Following a careful analysis of the effects of recently implemented tariffs, related cost increases and a conclusion that the company cannot independently absorb these repercussions, Kraton is adopting these pricing hikes, according to a company statement. The company further said that it will keep an eye on the scene and reassess these measures promptly in the event that conditions and US import tariffs alter.