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.

Michelin has introduced the new MICHELIN XHA3 tyre, a next-generation product engineered to meet the escalating productivity demands of modern construction equipment. Building on the established legacy of the MICHELIN XHA2, this latest release is designed to support faster operational cycles and the increased capabilities of contemporary machinery, all while prioritising uptime and efficiency through a combination of versatility and innovation.

Developed for a broad spectrum of heavy machinery, the MICHELIN XHA3 is suitable for loaders, articulated dump trucks and graders, covering E3, L3 and G3 applications. Its multi-machine design allows it to perform effectively across diverse terrains, ranging from mud and asphalt to more aggressive environments. This adaptability not only simplifies fleet management but also reduces inventory complexity by minimising the number of tyre references needed on site.

The tyre’s advanced structure and new tread design, which incorporates increased rubber volume, deliver up to 20 percent greater wear life compared to the previous generation. Enhancements such as a reinforced bead area provide up to 20 percent additional load capacity depending on the size, accommodating high-torque machinery. Furthermore, the new four-block tread pattern and optimised shoulder radius improve traction and stability, contributing to reduced vibration and enhanced operator comfort.

A standout feature of the MICHELIN XHA3 is the patent-pending Michelin Visual Pressure Control, an integrated sidewall indicator that allows for immediate visual inspection of tyre inflation without the need for sensors or electronic devices. This system facilitates routine safety checks and streamlines workflows, contributing to lower maintenance costs and reduced unplanned downtime. With a high retreadability rate and an estimated 16 percent reduction in Total Cost of Ownership, the tyre is positioned as a durable, reliable solution that will be progressively rolled out worldwide in multiple dimensions.

Continental has unveiled a concept tyre developed under the EU-funded ZEvRA project, which is composed of approximately 43 percent recycled materials. The innovation serves as a demonstration of the potential inherent in advanced material approaches while simultaneously underscoring the critical need for a dependable regulatory framework to facilitate the industrial-scale adoption of recycling technologies.

The technical achievement is set against the backdrop of the ZEvRA initiative, an acronym for ‘Zero Emission Electric Vehicles Enabled by Harmonized Circularity’. This two-year EU project, slated to conclude in 2026, is dedicated to enhancing the circular economy for electric vehicles across the entire value chain. As the sole tyre manufacturer participating in the consortium, Continental brings specialised expertise to the collaborative effort.

Addressing the complexities of tyre production, which requires a precise balance of numerous high-performance raw materials to guarantee safety, efficiency and durability, the concept tyre represents a significant milestone. The successful integration of a substantial proportion of recycled content into a safety-critical component, without compromising performance standards, highlights the compatibility of ecological responsibility and product excellence. The tyre has achieved the highest possible rating on the EU rolling resistance label.

The ZEvRA concept tyre incorporates a variety of recycled materials, including tall oil, steel, rubber derived from end-of-life tyres and polyester fibres sourced from recycled PET bottles. Continental employs advanced methodologies such as pyrolysis to extract recovered carbon black from old tyres for repurposing. Since 2023, this material has been utilised in all newly manufactured solid rubber tyres at the Korbach facility. Additionally, the company uses sand residue from foundries in a recycling process to produce an alternative silica variant, effectively keeping materials in circulation and reducing the demand for primary resources.

Continental executives have articulated the strategic importance of this development. Dr Andreas Topp, head of Platform Development and Industrialization for passenger-car tyres, emphasises that while circular materials are key to sustainable mobility, the full impact of technological progress requires reliable and aligned policy frameworks. Jorge Almeida, head of Sustainability for Continental’s Tires group sector, stresses the necessity of establishing innovative recycling technologies on an industrial scale and creating closed material flows. He advocates for a standardised, transparent approach to calculation and reporting, developed through close dialogue between policymakers and stakeholders.

Beyond the recycled content, the concept tyre also features approximately 13 percent renewable raw materials and 25 percent mass-balance-certified materials, bringing the total share of sustainable sources to over 80 percent. Continental is progressively increasing the use of such materials across its portfolio, with the share of purchased renewable and recycled production materials reaching 28 percent in 2025, with a target of at least 40 percent by 2030. Insights from the ZEvRA project will guide the company’s future development of materials and technologies, focusing on industrial availability and scaling manufacturing processes.

Doublestar Tire emerged as a prominent exhibitor at the 2026 Latin Tyre & Auto Parts Expo in Panama City. The premier industry gathering for the Americas attracted over 700 international exhibitors and more than 30,000 professional trade visitors, providing a substantial platform for automotive parts and tire manufacturers.

The Panamanian event serves as a critical commercial gateway, radiating trade opportunities across more than 20 neighbouring nations. Given Latin America’s varied topography and climatic extremes, which demand superior tyre resilience and wet traction, Doublestar has collaborated with regional partners to engineer customised products. These targeted solutions have secured considerable market acceptance and popularity throughout the area.

Among the showcased innovations, the TBR tyre D902 integrates a wear-resistant compound with an advanced tread pattern, ensuring dependable stability for long-haul routes in tropical heat. The DSU02, a premier passenger car tyre, demonstrates exceptional protection against abrasion and impact, coupled with superior handling in both wet and dry conditions. A diverse portfolio of economically priced models further drew significant attention from purchasing agents.

This strategic participation has notably amplified Doublestar’s brand presence across the American markets and established a robust framework for deeper local engagement. Committed to delivering high-performance, value-added transportation solutions, Doublestar continues to reinforce the international standing of Chinese tyre manufacturers through quality-driven innovation.

Barez Industrial Group, Iran’s leading tyre manufacturer, observed its 29th consecutive year of activity on the Tehran Securities Exchange during a commemorative event held on 23 August 2026. The gathering featured the traditional exchange bell ceremony, underscoring the company’s enduring footprint in Iran’s capital markets.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamal Mirzaei, CEO of Barez Industrial Group, spoke of the organisation’s momentum, asserting that current undertakings and forward-looking blueprints are steadily carving out its tomorrow. The firm’s leadership used the platform to reaffirm its commitment to sustained growth and operational excellence.

Originating as a provincial manufacturer in Kerman back in 1985, Barez has since risen to become a linchpin of the national tyre industry. Strategic upgrades to production lines and the integration of cutting-edge manufacturing processes have propelled its reach beyond borders. Since joining the TSE in 1997, it has outshone six other listed peers in the rubber and plastics category, claiming the largest share of the sector’s overall valuation, which exceeded IRR 330 trillion at the prior session, with the group responsible for over IRR 120 trillion of that figure.

The proceedings also included an award presentation, with TSE Chief Mahmoud Goudarzi offering a commemorative token to Mirzaei in appreciation of the firm’s three-decade record of transparent engagement with the exchange. Later, a press engagement allowed the executive team to walk reporters through notable milestones, pipeline ventures and strategic forecasts, fostering a clearer view of the company’s roadmap for investors and analysts alike.