Hankook Tire is introducing its new Optimo sub-brand in Europe. With a more varied brand portfolio, Hankook will be able to better serve consumer demands and grow its market share in Europe.

One of Hankook's incredibly popular heritage all-season tyres served as the inspiration for the Optimo brand name. It stands for Optimo's dependability and capacity to satisfy strong demand with a condensed product line that accommodates a variety of client needs in all seasons. Hankook's current premium and related passenger vehicle tyre brands are enhanced by Optimo. In a market category where demand is rising, the lineup is made to provide enough market coverage with key items.

By giving customers a dependable and trustworthy choice, the portfolio addition seeks to promote Hankook's expansion. As competition heats up, Optimo will help protect market share by providing fresh chances in unexplored markets and channels. With an emphasis on performance and dependability, the brand will provide a distinct and targeted product line that includes summer, all-season and winter tyres. In order to increase brand recognition and loyalty, Hankook will support Optimo with sales support resources that will be accessible both online and offline.

Hankook Tire will support Optimo, guaranteeing that consumers will identify it as a brand made by a reliable and respectable company. All marketing and sales collateral will clearly display this endorsement, highlighting Optimo's dependability and integrity. In the second quarter of 2025, the brand will be expanded to further areas outside of Europe.

Jongho Park, COO, Hankook Tire Europe, said, “In recent years, Hankook has seen tremendous growth in the European market. With the introduction of Optimo, we are now setting course to continue this success story in the future.”

Italian machinery manufacturer Rodolfo Comerio has been recognised with the prestigious “Excellent Partner” award by Linglong Tire, one of the world’s leading tyre producers, during celebrations marking the Chinese company’s 50th anniversary.

The accolade was presented at the “2025 Linglong Tire Global Equipment Suppliers Conference,” which was part of an international event called “Driving Collaborative Growth with Linglong Tire.” The conference gathered major machinery suppliers from across the tyre industry.

According to the Italian firm, the award acknowledges Rodolfo Comerio’s exceptional calendaring line performance, commitment to innovation, quality after-sales service, and consistent presence in the Chinese market.

Nicola Fedele, Sales & Marketing Managing Director at Rodolfo Comerio, expressed his gratitude: “We are truly honoured to receive this recognition from such a prestigious company like Linglong. Our mission has always been to build strong and lasting relationships based on quality and reliability, and this award confirms the trust Linglong has placed in Rodolfo Comerio. To know that we have played a role in Linglong’s exponential growth thanks to our synergistic work and continuous commitment to meeting and exceeding their expectations is always a great source of pride for us.”

During the ceremony, Linglong Tire’s Chairman Wang Feng delivered a speech highlighting the crucial importance of the Chinese manufacturer’s partnership with Rodolfo Comerio. This relationship of mutual trust has reportedly enabled Linglong to achieve significant milestones and contributed substantially to the company’s growth in both quality and productivity.

Fedele added: “Meeting and being able to talk with  Wang Feng is always a source of inspiration for me. His dedication and foresight are a continuous professional lesson, and they provide a fundamental guide to push us to do better and reach new heights of excellence. His strategic vision motivates us to continue our work with passion and constantly improve our solutions to support the growth of our customers.”

Element Fleet Management Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded automotive fleet manager, has nominated Paolo Ferrari and Tracey McVicar to stand for election to its Board of Directors, the Toronto-listed company announced recently.

The nominations, to be voted on at the firm’s Annual General Meeting on 2 May, come as current board members Andrew Clarke and Arielle-Meloul Wechsler have decided not to seek re-election.

Ferrari brings substantial executive experience to the role, having most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Bridgestone Americas and Bridgestone West, while simultaneously holding the position of Joint Global Chief Operations Officer of Bridgestone Corporation. His prior leadership roles include Chief Executive Officer of Pirelli North America and Latin America, alongside executive positions in telecommunications, technology, and investment banking.

McVicar, a Partner at private equity firm CAI Capital Partners since 2003, previously held senior investment banking positions at Raymond James Ltd. and RBC Capital Markets. Her governance experience includes directorships at Teck Resources Ltd., where she chaired the Audit Committee, and BC Hydro Corporation, where she led the Audit and Finance Committee.

"We are pleased to nominate Paolo Ferrari and Tracey McVicar to our Board," said Element Board Chair Kathleen Taylor. "Paolo and Tracey bring integral skills, perspectives, and experience, and we are confident they will be tremendous assets to the Company. We would also like to thank our outgoing Board members, Andrew Clarke and Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, for their valuable support and contributions to Element."

Hankook Tire’s iON evo electric vehicle (EV) tyre has been voted the test winner with an ‘exemplary’ rating in AutoBild’s 2025 Summer EV Tyre Test.

The testers tested eight tyres in the size 215/55 R 18, all of which were made to be especially appropriate for electric vehicles. The objective for the premium tyre line was to provide unwavering safety while judiciously allocating battery capacity, i.e. to maximise range per battery charge through minimal rolling resistance. The Hankook iON evo, which finished first on the podium with an overall score of 1.1, outperformed all other tyres in the lengthy test.

The Hankook tyre won the top marks in two of the five categories and was the best on the circular track and for handling in the difficult wet surface testing. Also, the high-end tyre made especially for electric cars placed second in the three other categories of braking, aquaplaning and curve aquaplaning. In addition to winning two of the three individual tests, the handling and braking tests, the Hankook tyre dominated the dry surface test. It also placed among the top five drive-by noise comparisons. To further reduce noise levels in the interior, the iON evo is outfitted with Hankook i Sound Absorber technology.

The iON evo performed admirably in both the roll-out and range tests, placing second in the environment category. Lastly, a strong cost rating with continuously high mileage, price per mileage and rolling resistance scores completed the outstanding test result. The final verdict read: “Special EV tyre with good safety reserves during aquaplaning, short braking distances, outstanding driving dynamics, good mileage, good comfort and low rolling resistance.”

Leading tyre-retreading machinery maker Marangoni has unveiled a new strategic sustainability strategy for 2025–2027 that reaffirms its social and environmental pledges.

In order to direct and oversee its ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives during the ensuing three years, the tyre retreading expert has voluntarily created a targeted action framework. The framework is in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN's 2030 Agenda. Marangoni claims that the plan was implemented in accordance with globally accepted standards, such as AccountAbility 1000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, and that it is meant to function as a monitoring tool to periodically assess the company's progress as well as a guide for action.

The company has identified 17 specific initiatives as part of this strategy. These were established after a materiality study that took into account input from external stakeholders as well as internal input. Each of the 17 initiatives is built around three core pillars, namely supporting the ecological transition, integrating ESG principles into corporate governance and ensuring a safe, stimulating and inclusive work environment. The result is a ‘balanced approach’ reflecting management’s priorities and stakeholder expectations, said the company.