Each time you go to a tyre shop or a gas station to top up the tyre pressure in your vehicle’s tyres, what the attendant fills into the tyre is normal compressed air. But what exactly does compressed air contain? Compressed air is made up of 78% nitrogen, about 20-21% oxygen, and the balance one percent consists of CO2, and tiny concentrations of gases such as neon, argon and water vapour.

 When you specifically fill nitrogen gas into the vehicle's tyres, then you should have 100% dry nitrogen in your tyre. Dry nitrogen denotes that no        moisture content or any other gases are present in the tyre.

 Jay Chakraborty, who recently bought a second hand car, says, “After I bought my car, I changed the tyres and I’ve heard so many people talk about  how good nitrogen has been for them that I decided to get my new tyres filled with nitrogen air. The car feels a lot better on bumpy roads, and I don’t  have to worry about checking tyre pressure every week.”

Benefits of nitrogen Vs compressed air

Nitrogen as a gas is made up of big molecules, whereas oxygen molecules are much smaller in size compared to nitrogen molecules. When compressed air is put into a vehicle’s tyres, the moisture in the tyre seeps through the rubber over time and evaporates quicker as its molecules are smaller in size. But as nitrogen molecules are bigger in size, they do not permeate the tyres rubber so easily and hence will stay in the tyre for a longer duration. This means that your vehicle’s tyres will lose less pressure over time compared to regular compressed air filled tyres.

For example: An inactive vehicle, whose tyres are filled with normal compressed air will lose tyre pressure every week. But a 100% nitrogen-filled tyre will lose tyre pressure a lot slower and won’t need to be topped up as frequently. 

Titus Remedios, “I filled nitrogen in the new tyres that  I purchased for my Maruti Ecco in June 2019. That time the tyre pressure filled with nitrogen was 35Psi. I use the car once a week and after the lockdown, the car hadn’t been used in months. I recently went back in October 2020 to the place where I had filled the nitrogen in the car tyres and the tyre pressure after 14 months had only dropped to 22Psi. .

Another point to note, nitrogen filled tyres get a green or blue colour valve cap. This is a universal symbol that your vehicle's tyres are filled with nitrogen and not compressed air.

Is Nitrogen right for you?

Over-inflation and under inflation of tyres make a major difference on the race track. But on your normal city road does it make a huge difference? Under-inflated tyres normally lead to less mileage, uneven wear on the tyre treads and more tyre wear and tear overall. Over inflated tyres run the risk of burning out the contact patch on the tyre too quickly, while adding more bounce vs grip to a vehicle's stability. In hot climate conditions, your vehicle's tyre pressure can jump up tremendously. Highway running speeds coupled with a harsh sun beating down, can lead to a  tear in the tyre or in extreme conditions, a tyre bursting. This is where nitrogen-filled tyres shine the most. Due to their molecular build, nitrogen molecules stay at a constant temperature in a tyre. So even if the temperature outside decreases or increases, the nirotgen in the tyre will remain the same. That is why race cars and racing motorcycles only use 100% nitrogen in their tyres all the time.

Now we are all not professional racers, but we do commute on a daily basis and even go for the occasional weekend drive out of the city for some sightseeing and relaxation. Will filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyre help you? There are many who swear by nitrogen-filled tyres and an equal amount who feel that regular compressed air works just fine.

Personal tyre maintenance

If you are someone who keeps a check on the vehicles tyre pressure weekly and tops up the air when needed, you won’t need nitrogen filled into your vehicles tyre. However, if you are someone who tops air pressure once a month or once in two months, then filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyres will help you reap the benefits of it. If you constantly make long highway trips and most of your time is spent behind the wheel, then filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyres will be a boon.

Yash Ramrakhyani from Palghar runs a big tyre shop which sells Apollo, Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin and Yokohama tyres for every vehicle from a scooter to a heavy duty tempo. He says, “I get an average of 300 customers a year who want nitrogen filled in their vehicle’s tyres. There was a big local demand in the area for nitrogen-filled tyres, hence my father and me invested in the nitrogen unit. Tyres don't get hot, and nitrogen level doesn't go down so fast is what I have heard from customers as feedback, but the fact that people think nitrogen levels in the tyre doesn't go down is false. Even nitrogen-filled tyres have to be checked for tyre pressure once a month.

Nitrogen myths busted

Myth 1: Your vehicle's mileage will increase.

Truth: Your vehicle’s mileage depends on a lot of factors, tyres being just one small part of that equation. Having nitrogen filled tyres only gives you the benefit of having a most constant tyre pressure. However compressed air and nitrogen filled tyres both will loose pressure after a certain amount of time.

Myth 2: Your vehicle's comfort will be better, it will be soft on bumps.

Truth: Compressed air or nitrogen filled tyres will react the same way when on bumpy roads. It is the rubber compound and the type of tyres that you have that will make a difference in the ride or drive quality. As long as you maintain the right air pressure in your vehicle's tyres, you’ll be good.

Myth 3: You won’t have to fill up the tyre pressure as frequently.

Truth: Well this is true. Nitrogen-filled tyres will retain the pressure in your vehicle's tyre for a longer time duration compared to tyres filled with compressed air. However, even nitrogen-filled tyres loose pressure over time and you have to get the pressure checked and topped up from time to time.

Myth 4: Your vehicle's tyre will last longer

Truth: The tyre on your vehicle rely on you to make sure you maintain the recommended air pressure inorder for it to do its job properly. Under inflated and over inflated tyres will wear out faster when compared to tyres that have been properly maintained.

Myth 5: The rims on your vehicle won't rust

Truth: There is some amount of truth in this. As nitrogen-filled tyres contain less or no water vapour, the moisture content in the tyre is less. Less moisture equals to less rust on the inside of the wheel. But that doesn’t stop the rest of the wheel from rusting due to everyday washing and climate conditions.

Myth 6: There are few tyre shops / fuel pumps that offer nitrogen.

Truth: Compressed air is mostly nitrogen gas. So even if you have nitrogen-filled tyres, but you’re running low on tyre pressure and there’s no nitrogen filling station around, you can still fill normal compressed air. It will not have any major impact on your vehicle's tyres. Maintaining the right tyre pressure is key.

The catch

The nitrogen that you get filled in your vehicle's tyres is not a 100% or even 99% pure nitrogen. A brand new or even an old tyre once deflated has some amount of air inside it. It is the atmospheric air that's already there all around us. So unless you drain all the air in the tyre out and refill it nitrogen and drain the tyre again 2-3 times, you’ll still be running your vehicle's tyres with 90% nitrogen and not 100% nitrogen. But even then you’re not guaranteed that your vehicle's tyres will be filled with 100% pure nitrogen. There is no way to measure how much nitrogen is there in your vehicle’s tyre. Nitrogen will cost you, whereas compressed air is free at most petrol pumps or Rs.1-2 at a tyre shop. Nitrogen costs on the other hand vary from place to place and the kind of machine they have. The machines that are at the tyre shops or petrol pumps that offer nitrogen, do not deliver pure 100% nitrogen! Some machines will have a percentage rating of how much nitrogen it provides to the tyre and some have no percentage levels at all. Filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyres can cost you anywhere from Rs.150 for four tyres to Rs.50 per tyre and can go all the way up to Rs.1,500 for a set of four tyres.

Conclusion

Have you ever noticed that vehicle manufactureres never recommend nitrogen in their manuals or at their service centers. The reason behind this is your vehicle's tyres are manufactured to run on normal compressed air. As long as you maintain the right tyre pressure in your vehicle’s tyre, you’ll be fine.

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CarbonX has extended its strategic partnership with European LFP battery manufacturer ElevenEs into 2026. The new phase transitions from initial material validation to advanced industrial-scale testing, aiming to strengthen the local supply chain for LFP batteries across Europe.

As the only LFP Edge cell producer in Europe, ElevenEs supports the regional ecosystem by offering its EdgeLabs R&D infrastructure. This platform integrates CarbonX’s carbon-based anode material into full-scale prismatic LFP blade-type cells, where rigorous benchmarking against global standards validates performance, lifespan and safety.

By providing specialised services, ElevenEs acts as an industrial catalyst for CarbonX, helping the Dutch material innovator move from laboratory to market-ready applications. The cooperation is designed to result in a conditional offtake arrangement upon the successful achievement of technical milestones.

Nemanja Mikać, CEO, ElevenEs, said, “Our continued partnership with CarbonX demonstrates how ElevenEs acts as an industrial engine for the European battery ecosystem. We don’t just validate materials; we provide the manufacturing excellence and R&D infrastructure necessary to scale promising European technologies. ElevenEs experts team actively supports suppliers to build a resilient, energy-independent supply chain for the future.”

Rutger van Raalten, CEO, CarbonX, said, “Signing this agreement with ElevenEs marks a significant step forward for CarbonX and reinforces our shared commitment to building a resilient, sustainable battery materials ecosystem. Beyond strengthening our supply chain, this partnership contributes directly to Europe’s strategic ambition for energy independence, accelerating the transition to locally sourced, low carbon critical materials.”

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Liberty Tire Recycling has unveiled two major corporate documents detailing its 2025 environmental and risk management strategies. For the first time, a Climate Risk & Resilience Report aligned with international financial disclosure standards accompanies its annual sustainability findings. These publications collectively highlight how the firm’s green initiatives support both circular economy goals and lasting financial health.

Operational data from the past year shows significant efficiency gains. By tightening energy and fuel oversight, the company cut location-based Scope 2 pollution by six percent and market-based emissions by 10 percent, while energy intensity improved eight percent. Across 219 million scrap tyres, an 81 percent reuse rate was maintained. Outside auditors awarded an EcoVadis Bronze rating, placing Liberty among the top third of assessed firms, and a Recircle Award celebrated its circular innovation.

Workplace safety and community investment also saw notable progress. Employee turnover fell nine percent relative to previous figures, and lost‑time injury rates dropped 11 percent. Charitable contributions exceeded USD 216,000. The new climate resilience document explains how environmental risks are factored into daily operations and long‑range planning, reinforcing the connection between responsible practices and corporate durability.

Thomas Womble, CEO, Liberty Tire Recycling, said, "At Liberty, sustainability is core to our operations and how we show up for our partners and communities. We’re proud of the progress reflected in this report and grateful to our employees whose dedication makes it possible. We remain focused on continuing to drive progress through continued collaborative efforts with the manufacturers and retailers."

Amy Brackin, Senior Vice President – Sustainability, Liberty Tire Recycling, said, "We have said from day one – putting sustainability at the core of our operations would produce better results for the environment and our business. This year’s report continues to demonstrate that Liberty is a leader in both the tyre recycling industry and the sustainability sector more broadly."

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India’s largest tyre maker MRF reported an 11 percent rise in consolidated revenue for the financial year ended March 31, 2026, supported by growth in replacement and original equipment demand.

MRF said consolidated total income increased to INR 316.54 billion from INR 285.70 billion a year earlier. Profit before tax rose to INR 32.22 billion from INR 24.83 billion, while net profit climbed 30 per cent to INR 24.26 billion from INR 18.73 billion in the previous financial year.

The Chennai-based company said it crossed INR 300 billion in annual sales during FY2025-26, helped by growth across both replacement and original equipment segments.

MRF said performance during the year was supported by the launch of new stock keeping units across truck, passenger vehicle and two-wheeler categories. The company added that it had strengthened its position as a supplier to electric vehicle manufacturers and its tyres were increasingly being fitted on vehicles exported by original equipment manufacturers to overseas markets.

The company said demand remained buoyant in the fourth quarter following the reduction in GST rates, benefiting both replacement and original equipment sales. It also said higher vehicle production by manufacturers had increased demand for tyres.

MRF said it was expanding capacity across plants to meet expected future demand from replacement, original equipment and export markets.

The company warned that conflict in the Middle East and related disruptions had driven higher raw material costs and created supply chain pressures. MRF said it had implemented price increases and cost-control measures to offset the impact and indicated that further price rises could follow.

MRF also said the forecast of a sub-normal monsoon could adversely affect demand and added that it was evaluating the potential impact of economic uncertainty and margin pressure on growth.

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Apollo Tyres Ltd has expanded its cycling portfolio with the release of the Vredestein Superpasso 2, a mid-range road tyre borrowing compound technology from the brand’s premium Superpasso Pro model. The new offering targets cycling enthusiasts and leisure riders by pairing that professional-grade tread with a highly durable casing.

Engineers have focused on reducing rolling resistance, achieving an improvement of up to 19 percent on the 28 mm tubeless-ready version compared to the previous generation. This gain comes without sacrificing the established levels of grip or puncture protection, thanks largely to an updated casing and compound rather than structural overhauls. The tyre also retains its predecessor’s 100 TPI casing and reinforced breaker layer.

Apollo’s TriComp technology employs distinct rubber compounds across the tread and shoulders, with a firmer centre promoting durability and lower resistance while softer shoulders enhance wet-weather cornering. Available from May 2026 across Europe, the Superpasso 2 will be offered in tubeless-ready options of 28-622 and 32-622, as well as tube-type sizes of 25-622, 28-622 and 32-622, in both black-black and black-transparent finishes.

Nic Knippers, Divisional Head, Vredestein Two Wheel Tyres, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “With the Superpasso 2, rolling resistance has been significantly reduced while grip and puncture protection remain at the same high level. No rider wants a flat tyre – they want a tyre that delivers both speed and safety, without compromise.”

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