Hankook Tire has partnered with DriverReviews, a platform for verified tyre reviews of current models in the UK, to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

The reviews provided by the consumers will be verified and published on the tyre maker’s UK website, making it the first tyre maker in the UK to do so. Hankook Tire currently has over 5,000 product reviews on its website.

Zoe Baldwin, Marketing and Communications Manager of Hankook Tyre UK, said, “As reviews have become a very important force in online consumer decision making, it seemed a natural progression to provide genuine reviews of our products on our website. This will enable consumers to make an informed choice when selecting their tyre brand. We have partnered with DriverReviews to ensure consumers are confident in their choice of Hankook tyres before purchasing. As the reviews are requested at three intervals of ownership, after 3 months, 12 months, and 18-24 months, consumers can provide the most accurate, honest opinions across the product’s lifecycle.”

Adam Butcher, Head of Product at DriverReviews, said, “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Hankook – one of the fastest-growing and leading premium tyre makers in the world. Thousands of customers have already used DriverReviews to review and voice their opinion on Hankook’s wide range of high-quality and high-performance products, and it is exciting that our partnership will enable Hankook to syndicate these reviews into their marketing communications. It’s an important step for DriverReviews to collaborate with partners such as Hankook to ensure that more customers are given the opportunity to read genuine authentic tyre reviews to guide their future purchases and help them make the right choice in a sometimes-complicated customer experience.”

Although DriverReviews is currently only integrated into the UK website, Hankook plans to roll out across more countries in 2022. (TT)

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Following a wave of international acclaim, Pirelli's Cyber Tyre technology continues to redefine automotive safety and connectivity, earning a trio of prestigious awards that underscore its transformative impact. The recognition began in France, where a panel of 20 industry experts at the Automobile Awards honoured the Cyber Tyre with the Safety Award for its ability to enhance vehicle security. This intelligent system employs integrated sensors that communicate with a car’s electronic control unit, delivering real-time road data. This allows vehicle stability systems to react more precisely, improving braking and handling, while also sharing critical information with road infrastructure and other connected vehicles to proactively alert of hazards.

Further acclaim came from Autobest, a European automotive jury representing 32 countries, which granted its SafetyBest 2026 award. This honour celebrates the pioneering development of the Cyber Tyre, a technology deemed of exceptional significance for raising road safety standards following rigorous evaluation. Simultaneously, the global market analysis firm Frost & Sullivan named Pirelli the 2025 Company of the Year in the smart automotive tyre sector. This award highlights Pirelli’s foresight in anticipating industry trends and bringing groundbreaking innovations to market that generate substantial value.

The culmination of two decades of development, Cyber Tyre technology is now moving from concept to real-world application through key automotive partnerships. Following its 2021 debut on the McLaren Artura, the system has been adopted by Audi for a special track model and is fully integrated into the electronics of the Pagani Utopia Roadster. A recently announced agreement with Aston Martin will see the technology featured on future models, with development also expanding into the premium volume market. These implementations are supported by a strategic collaboration with Bosch, ensuring seamless integration with essential vehicle systems like ESP and ABS.

Fundamentally, the Pirelli Cyber Tyre is an integrated hardware and software platform. It collects vital data on tyre pressure, temperature and dynamics, processes this information via proprietary algorithms and communicates instantly with a vehicle’s driver-assistance and stability controls. This elevates safety, efficiency and comfort. Its influence extends beyond the vehicle itself, contributing to smarter infrastructure. A pilot project in Italy’s Apulia region, for example, combines tyre sensor data with camera imagery to create dynamic road maps that monitor pavement conditions and aid maintenance planning. Through Vehicle-to-Everything connectivity, the Cyber Tyre is paving the way for smarter roads and cities, marking a decisive step towards future mobility by transforming the traditional tyre into a connected, intelligent component.

Andrea Casaluci, CEO, Pirelli, said, “These new recognitions confirm that the role of the tyre has changed. For over a century, the technologies inside it have been evolving, but its function has remained the same: conveying forces to the ground to ensure vehicle control. Today, the tyre continues to evolve, and to its primary purpose a new one has been added: thanks to Pirelli Cyber™ Tyre, it has begun to collect and transmit data, processed through algorithms developed by Pirelli. These enable new functionalities, both within vehicle electronics and in relation to road infrastructure, with development potential that looks towards smart cities and autonomous driving. Digitalisation and connectivity are essential pillars for designing future mobility, and our technology – the first of its kind in the tyre world – has embraced them, as confirmed by these awards and by our collaborations with leading car manufacturers.”

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Dunlop (company name: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.) has integrated chemically recycled circular carbon black into selected passenger car tyres, initiating mass production at its Miyazaki facility in November 2025. This marks the first application of this recycled material within Dunlop's commercial tyre range. The circular carbon black is derived from end-of-life tyres and manufacturing rubber scrap, which are processed through chemical recycling instead of being incinerated for energy. Developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Chemical, this approach transforms waste into a valuable raw material, promoting a circular economy and helping to lower CO₂ emissions.

This innovation was first proven in high-performance settings, having been successfully tested in Dunlop racing tyres during the competitive SUPER GT 2025 season, where it delivered reliable results. The initiative is a key component of Sumitomo Rubber’s overarching TOWANOWA circular economy strategy, which seeks to embed sustainability throughout the tyre lifecycle. This framework connects a sustainable ring, managing five key processes, with a data ring that harnesses information to generate additional value. A central element involves increasing the adoption of sustainable materials to lessen environmental footprint.

Operationally, Sumitomo Rubber provides rubber waste to Mitsubishi Chemical, which then utilises coke oven chemical recycling to produce the circular carbon black. This partnership redirects rubber from combustion to material recovery, enhancing resource efficiency and fostering more sustainable tyre production. Moving forward, the company plans to further develop its TOWANOWA strategy, concentrating on reducing ecological impact, improving tyre safety and performance and expanding service-oriented solutions for sustainable mobility.

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Bridgestone India has further strengthened its environmental and educational mission with the opening of a Nature Interpretation Centre. This new facility, an eco-friendly mud structure, is situated within the company’s thriving Butterfly Garden at its Kheda Plant. Designed as a hub for nature-based learning, the Centre provides immersive educational tools such as 3D models and interactive smart boards, alongside a resource area with books and training materials. It will facilitate workshops and community programmes, having already engaged over 70 local students with hands-on conservation experiences.

The surrounding 1.23-acre Butterfly Garden forms a critical habitat, home to over 7,000 native plants that sustain a diverse ecosystem of butterflies, birds, mammals and pollinators. Its ecological impact is demonstrated by a Bombay Natural History Society evaluation, noting a significant rise in biodiversity. Since the garden’s creation, documented butterfly species have grown from 44 to 68 and bird species from 40 to 46, with several birds recorded in the Kheda region for the first time.

Collectively, the garden and centre showcase a successful model for harmonising industrial activity with nature, actively supporting Bridgestone’s commitment to sustainable growth and meaningful community engagement.

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JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. has formally completed the merger of its subsidiary, Cavendish Industries Ltd., into its operations, a strategic move that follows Cavendish's acquisition in 2016. At that time, Cavendish was operating at only 30 percent of its manufacturing capacity for various vehicle tyres. Under JK Tyre's stewardship, the subsidiary received extensive managerial, financial and technical support, which facilitated a complete operational turnaround. Through optimised manufacturing processes, capacity utilisation dramatically increased to 95 percent. Additional expansion at the Laksar facility further bolstered its substantial contribution to the company's overall tyre production.

This consolidation is projected to generate significant value by combining operational strengths, achieving greater economies of scale, and creating a more robust and diversified product portfolio. The unified entity will also benefit from an extensive, integrated distribution network. The merger aligns with JK Tyre's enduring strategy of pursuing sustainable growth through both organic projects and strategic acquisitions. Cavendish’s successful integration represents the company’s third major operational turnaround, following previous revitalisations of Vikrant Tyres and JK Tornel Mexico, alongside the establishment of two Greenfield plants.

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