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.

Nynas is expanding its commitment to responsible business practices in 2026 through active engagement with two United Nations Global Compact development programmes. The company has joined the Business and Human Rights programme alongside the SDG Innovation for Young Professionals programme, reflecting a dual focus on ethical operations and sustainability-driven progress. Both programmes provide access to expert guidance, practical methodologies and cross-sector collaboration opportunities with peers across Sweden, enabling continuous refinement of practices throughout the value chain.

Within the Business and Human Rights programme, Nynas is working to establish a more systematic approach to human rights due diligence. This involves examining both internal operations and supplier relationships to ensure respect for human rights becomes an integrated aspect of everyday business processes. The framework is aligned with established international standards, particularly the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and reinforces ongoing work in responsible sourcing and maintaining transparent commercial conduct.

The SDG Innovation programme offers a different but complementary dimension, bringing together young professionals from various industries to tackle sustainability challenges through collaborative problem-solving. Participants develop, test and refine concrete ideas that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals while simultaneously generating business value. For Nynas, the outcomes support broader innovation efforts and help identify practical pathways towards reducing environmental footprint and strengthening customer offerings.

These engagements form an integral component of Nynas’ overarching sustainability strategy. The knowledge and tools acquired will enhance risk management capabilities, embed responsible practices more deeply across operations and stimulate innovation aligned with global priorities. Working alongside the UN Global Compact Network Sweden, Nynas seeks to transform these insights into tangible actions, collaborating closely with customers, suppliers and partners to advance sustainability in meaningful and measurable ways.

Bridgestone Americas has announced a significant evolution for the 2026 INDYCAR season, as Firestone Racing will equip the series with Firehawk race tyres featuring the company's global ENLITEN Technology. This integration of sustainability-focused innovations begins immediately with this weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, impacting both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the INDY NXT by Firestone support series.

This development arrives as the Firestone brand marks its 125th anniversary, a legacy deeply intertwined with motorsport. Firestone’s competitive pedigree was established in the early 1900s and solidified when Ray Harroun secured victory at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 using Firestone tyres. Racing continues to serve as a critical proving ground, driving advancements in materials and technology that ultimately benefit tyre development for everyday consumers.

For the 2026 season, the Firestone Race Tire Engineering (RTE) team will produce approximately 37,000 Firehawk ENLITEN race tyres. Over 32,000 of these are destined for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, requiring 60 distinct specifications to handle the unique challenges of ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits across an 18-race calendar. An additional 5,000 tyres, spanning 18 specifications, will support the INDY NXT by Firestone series, providing a developmental platform for rising drivers on a 17-race schedule that closely mirrors the premier series.

The ENLITEN Technology integrated into these race tyres represents a commitment to enhanced sustainability without compromising performance. The Firestone Firehawk primary and alternate compounds now incorporate key components such as renewable soybean oil, which replaces traditional petroleum-based oils. They also utilise recycled steel for the bead wire and recycled carbon black derived from end-of-life tyres, improving resource efficiency and material circularity while meeting the extreme demands of open-wheel racing.

This move builds on several years of sustainability initiatives by Firestone Racing. Previous efforts have included the successful use of guayule-derived natural rubber in sidewalls on street circuits, as well as incorporating materials from hard-to-recycle plastics and palm oil waste residue. The 2026 Firehawk tyres also continue the use of ISCC PLUS-certified monomers from palm oil processing waste. Concurrently, Firestone is advancing end-of-life recycling, with nearly all race tyres from the series being repurposed into products like playground surfaces and flooring.

All Firestone Firehawk race tyres are produced at the Bridgestone Advanced Tyre Production Center in Akron, Ohio, a facility opened in 2022 that represents a new chapter in the brand’s history. The engineering team works in close collaboration with the nearby Bridgestone Americas Technology Center, ensuring that insights gained from the racetrack directly inform and enhance the development of tyres across the company’s entire portfolio.

Lisa Boggs, Director, Bridgestone Americas Motorsports, said, "Firestone Racing serves as a mobile lab to test and prove new technologies under the most extreme conditions. The integration of ENLITEN Technology is the next step in our commitment to no compromises and sustainably focused technology through the use of cutting-edge materials."

Bridgestone Americas is preparing to introduce three new off-the-road tyres at the upcoming CONEXPO-CONAGG exhibition, showcasing advancements in durability, load capacity and application versatility across its Bridgestone and Firestone brands. The company’s booth will feature these latest innovations – the Bridgestone MasterCore V-Steel M-Traction Deep (VMTD), the Bridgestone V-Steel Rock Deep Ultra (VRDU) and the Firestone Multi Block T – alongside a broader selection of premium intelligent tyres engineered for equipment ranging from cranes and graders to haulers and loaders.

The Bridgestone MasterCore VMTD, a 27.00R49 tyre developed for 100-tonne haul trucks, represents the expansion of the company’s proprietary MasterCore technology into large-scale quarry applications. This new tyre features a traction-oriented tread pattern that delivers a 14 percent increase in tread depth compared to the conventional Bridgestone VMTP tyre, enhancing performance on difficult terrain. Its durable sidewall construction and narrow tread grooves contribute to a 10 percent extension in tyre life, while the MasterCore platform enables a 10 percent increase in load capacity and a two percent improvement in tonne-mile per hour and tonne-kilometre per hour metrics over the previous generation. With this launch, Bridgestone now offers two distinct tread patterns in the 27.00R49 segment, the other being the rock-patterned MasterCore VRDU introduced in mid-2025. The MasterCore VMTD will be available to fleets beginning in June, offered in four compound formulations including standard, cut resistant, ultra-cut resistant and heat-resistant options.

Also debuting at the show is a new three-star VRDU tyre in the 24.00R35 size, engineered with a rock tread pattern specifically for rigid dump trucks operating in quarry environments. This marks the company’s second three-star product in the large tyre segment and extends the hauling benefits of larger VRDU sizes to more compact applications. The tyre incorporates a stronger cord, enhanced casing structure and refined tread design that together yield a 15 percent increase in TMPH and TKPH compared to its predecessor. The new casing construction also provides more than an eight percent gain in load capacity relative to the two-star Bridgestone VRQP tyre. Its tread pattern incorporates slopes and centre grooves that improve wear characteristics while minimising heat generation during operation. This new VRDU size is scheduled for availability in 2027 and will replace the Bridgestone VRQP tyre in the company’s portfolio.

The Firestone brand introduces the Multi Block T radial tyre, designed for articulated dump trucks and wheel loaders, marking a new chapter in the brand’s 125-year legacy of durable products. This model replaces the Versabuilt AP and delivers a 10 percent improvement in cut resistance through strategically placed tie bars, robust steel cord construction and advanced compound formulations. The tyre features a 10 percent deeper tread depth combined with a new block design incorporating biting edges for reliable grip on challenging terrain. Its multi-star rating and non-directional pattern enhance application versatility and simplify tyre management, contributing to reduced operational costs. The Firestone Multi Block T will be available this summer in five sizes including 17.5R25, 20.5R25, 23.5R25, 26.5R25 and 29.5R25.

CONEXPO-CONAGG stands as the largest construction exhibition in United States, taking place from 3 through 7 March at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Bridgestone Americas will be exhibiting at booth 41633 in the West Hall.

Rob Seibert, President – Off the Road, Bridgestone Americas, said, "These three new tyres underscore our relentless focus on delivering premium products that help our customers operate more efficiently. Each tyre is engineered to deliver optimal performance in the most demanding environments, extending tyre life, reducing downtime and lowering total cost of ownership, helping our customers move more with less."

Citira has taken another significant step towards becoming the leading tyre management provider in Northern Europe by acquiring Dekkservice Kvinesdal, marking its first service point acquisition in Norway. The well-regarded tyre shop has built a strong reputation since its establishment in 2000, serving both passenger car and heavy vehicle customers with consistent high-quality service and personal relationships.

Under the new arrangement, Dekkservice Kvinesdal will maintain its operations with the same team at the same location, ensuring continuity for its valued customers. The team will continue managing daily operations while gaining access to Citira's resources for continued development. Ivar Røyseland will become a co-owner of Citira as part of this strategic partnership that combines local expertise with broader organisational support.

David Boman, CEO, Citira, said, “It is a pleasure to welcome Ivar and the Dekkservice team to Citira. They have established a well-run tyre shop with a longstanding reputation in the industry as a trusted tyre service point, which has truly impressed us. The combination of strong expertise and local customer relationships makes them an ideal partner, and we are proud that they have chosen to join us. This marks an important first step as we pursue our ambition to build a nation-wide service network in Norway.”

Røyseland said, “When we started Dekkservice Kvinesdal, our goal was to build a tyre shop that customers could trust for timely and high-quality service. After more than 25 years, I am incredibly proud of the relationships we have built with customers and the team we have become. Joining Citira will now allow us to focus fully on further developing the business while leveraging the resources of a larger organisation, and it is exciting to do so as their first service point in Norway.”