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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Tegeta Green Planet has launched an educational initiative targeting young people to foster environmental responsibility and awareness. The effort responds to the growing global challenges of sustainable development and environmental protection. By focusing on youth education, the organisation aims to build a foundation for long-term ecological consciousness and active public participation in preserving natural resources.

Operating since 2022, Tegeta Green Planet is among the first entities in Georgia authorised by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture under the Extended Producer Responsibility framework. This system is central to modern environmental policy, ensuring full-cycle management of specific waste streams such as used tyres, oils and batteries. The process covers collection, transportation, recycling and further handling aligned with circular economy principles.

As part of this drive, company representatives visited multiple schools in Batumi, a Black Sea coastal city and major tourist hub. Given Batumi’s rapid urbanisation and growing tourism, the need for proper waste management and ecological awareness is especially acute. The interactive sessions included presentations and workshops, teaching students how to handle used tyres, batteries and oils correctly; why such management is vital and how waste can become a resource through circular economy models. Students also learned how individual responsible behaviour affects the environment and the future.

The programme employs a practical format with educational games and activities after presentations, encouraging participants to ask questions and discuss eco-friendly daily choices. Attendees receive symbolic gifts and prizes as motivation. Through this project, Tegeta Green Planet continues its educational work across Georgia, aiming to inform and involve the younger generation in building a cleaner environment. The organisation maintains that environmental care extends beyond waste management to include education and a culture of responsibility for a sustainable future.

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TyreSafe and Good Egg Safety CIC have formed a major national partnership to tackle child seat misuse and vehicle safety together. The collaboration unites the UK’s leading child seat safety organisation with the country’s road safety charity, creating a pioneering programme designed to address both risks at scale. Following a planned pilot with Bradford City Council’s Road Safety Team, the initiative will roll out joint child seat and tyre safety check clinics across the UK using a data-led approach that reflects real-world road risks.

Good Egg Safety’s evidence, drawn from over 45,000 child seat checks, shows that more than 60 percent of child restraints are incorrectly fitted or incompatible, with many involving serious errors that could lead to life-changing or fatal injuries. Simultaneously, unroadworthy or illegal tyres remain a critical but often overlooked factor in many collisions. The partnership directly confronts both hazards by protecting children inside the vehicle while ensuring the vehicle itself is safe for emergency manoeuvres.

Good Egg Safety is known for its government-funded Advanced Child Seat Training Programme, which has accredited hundreds of professionals from police, fire and rescue, public health and local authorities. Unlike awareness-only campaigns, its evidence-based and behaviour-led approach has produced average knowledge increases of over 500 percent among professionals and up to 96 percent retention at six months. The new partnership extends this impact into real-world intervention and prevention.

Joint clinics will offer expert child seat checks, identification of high-risk installations, tyre safety inspections including tread depth and pressure and practical pre-journey advice. This whole-vehicle safety model aligns with the UK’s Safe System approach. The partnership will be showcased at the TyreSafe National Briefing in June 2026 and the Road Safety GB National Conference in November 2026, where early findings and national rollout plans will be presented. By combining training, community engagement and hands-on checks, the programme provides one of the most scalable and effective interventions available to protect children on UK roads.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of Tyresafe, said, “This partnership with Good Egg Safety CIC represents a significant step forward in our shared ambition to reduce avoidable road casualties. By combining expertise in child seat safety with tyre safety checks, we are addressing two critical but often disconnected risk factors in a practical, evidence-led way. The planned pilot in Bradford, followed by national rollout, will allow us to better understand real-world vehicle safety issues and intervene directly with families at the point of need. Working together in this way strengthens the Safe System approach and has the potential to make a measurable difference in saving lives and reducing incidents on UK roads.”

Janis James MBE, CEO, Good Egg Safety CIC, said, “For too long, road safety messaging has treated risks in isolation. In reality, a correctly fitted child seat cannot compensate for a vehicle that cannot stop safely – and safe tyres cannot protect a child who is incorrectly restrained. This partnership is about bringing those two critical elements together in a way that is practical, evidence-led and capable of saving lives at scale.”

Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board, said, “The fact that two thirds of children are at risk travelling in unsafe seats is deeply troubling. Being a nana myself, I made sure to make use of the Good Egg Safety service and I am very glad that I did. We have worked with them for a number of years to run child car seat checking events. I am pleased to say that another 50 sessions will be taking place over the coming months in West Yorkshire as part of our work to reduce road deaths and serious injury to zero by 2040.”

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) is set to publicly unveil new survey findings on 10 June at THE TIRE COLOGNE 2026, located in Hall 7.1 at booth C031 B038. The data reveals a European retreading industry in distress, with three-quarters of international survey respondents characterising the current situation as either critical or declining. Cheap new tyre imports are cited as the primary driver of mounting price pressure.

Conducted in spring 2026 among European tyre and retreading firms and experts, the survey aimed to assess real-world market conditions, success factors and political hurdles. Results show a deeply contradictory landscape: while retreading is acknowledged as a key circular economy technology for climate and resource protection, cheap imports, high energy costs and weak policy support are squeezing businesses. Nearly half of participants describe the industry as under severe pressure, with German players notably pessimistic, though a few see a growing market.

Respondents still see major potential through lower total cost of ownership, high casing quality and closer cooperation among fleets, retailers and retreaders. Cost-per-kilometre models, professional tyre management and transparent environmental, social and governance documentation are highlighted as crucial future strategies to prove economic and environmental benefits.

A strong political appeal emerged, with 88 percent of participants urging green procurement and more public funding. They call for binding sustainability criteria in public tenders, improved regulations and equal treatment of retreaded tyres in European ESG and taxonomy systems. France and Scandinavia are cited as models due to their eco-taxes and national circular economy collaborations. The full results will be discussed at AZuR’s event ‘The Future is retreaded!’ on 10 June at THE TIRE COLOGNE.

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Superteam Wheels, a prominent Chinese manufacturer of carbon fibre bicycle wheelsets, has introduced a new flagship carbon fibre wheelset, the Ultra SL SE, designed to resolve the performance trade-offs faced by road cyclists. Riders have long been forced to choose between lightweight designs lacking stiffness or rigid wheelsets too heavy for long distances. The new model integrates mature Chinese manufacturing with DT180 hubs, carbon spokes and aerodynamic optimisation for professional racing, training and casual riding.

Unlike single-function wheelsets, the Ultra SL SE is engineered for full-scenario adaptability. Weighing only 1,210 grammes, the wheelset achieves a lightweight breakthrough without compromising rigidity. The DT180 hubs enable direct power transmission for sprinting, climbing or cruising. The wheelset adapts seamlessly to flat roads, rolling terrain and climbs.

Compared to the classic H2 model, the Ultra SL SE brings three major upgrades: lighter weight, DT180 hubs and a redesigned circular rim. It retains H2’s stiffness and shark fin bionic aerodynamics. At 40 kmph, wind resistance drops by 17.62 percent.

The 51-millimetre front rim and 48-millimetre rear rim create a three-millimetre difference. The higher front rim enhances stability and resists crosswinds, while the lower rear rim reduces drag. This design balances controllability and aerodynamics.

Superteam selected DT180 hubs for their precision and low rolling resistance, combined with carbon spokes. The Ultra SL SE delivers professional race-level performance at a friendly cost, offering lightweight portability, rigid power transmission and all-scenario adaptability.

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