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.

The European Commission published a regulation on 7 July 2026 establishing definitive anti-dumping duties on passenger-car and light-lorry tyre imports originating from China. The duties, which range between 4.3 percent and 45.3 percent, follow an investigation confirming that these products were being sold in the EU at dumped prices.

The probe, which covered a broad range of pneumatic rubber tyres with a load index below 121, found that the dumped imports had inflicted damage upon the Union’s tyre sector, which provides employment for over 80,000 workers across 14 member states. In 2024, total EU consumption in this market exceeded 330 million units, valued at more than EUR 18 billion.

Chinese imports that year reached nearly 93 million units, worth over EUR 2.5 billion and accounting for a 28 percent market share. A separate anti-subsidy investigation concerning the same products remains active, with its conclusion scheduled for December of this year.

Sri Trang Group has formally inaugurated its annual internal sports tournament, the Somwang Cup 2026, reinforcing its dedication to employee welfare and organisational cohesion. The event is designed to enhance both physical and mental health among staff while simultaneously fostering a robust sense of unity and team spirit. This initiative is a core component of the group’s broader sustainability strategy, which prioritises the continuous improvement of its employees’ quality of life.

The official opening ceremony took place on 1 August 2026 at the Kickoff Arena in Hat Yai, Songkhla, featuring competitions in men’s football and women’s volleyball. The tournament has drawn significant participation, with over 800 employees from 11 different companies within the Sri Trang Group across Thailand. The men’s football competition, now in its fourth year, includes 44 teams, while the women’s volleyball event, in its second consecutive year, features 26 teams.

The competitive structure will see the leading squads from both disciplines progress to the final rounds scheduled for December. These culminating matches will determine the championship titleholders, with a combined total of more than THB 200,000 in prize money at stake.

Beyond the athletic contests, the Somwang Cup places a premium on positive sportsmanship, with Fair Play and Outstanding Athlete Awards recognising exemplary conduct. Having evolved into a cornerstone of the group’s corporate culture, the event is instrumental in building strong internal relationships and a resilient foundation for sustainable business growth.

Veerasith Sinchareonkul, Group CEO of Sri Trang Group, said, “At the heart of Somwang Cup 2026 is our commitment to creating a space where Sri Trang Group employees and members of the surrounding communities, particularly local young people who attend and support the competitions, can build meaningful relationships and strengthen their physical and mental well-being through sport. The event also provides an opportunity for younger generations to learn the value of teamwork. I believe that an organisation’s success should not be measured solely by its business performance or the results of a competition but also by the quality of life and well-being of its employees.”

Pirat Fuengfha, Sourcing Division Manager, and Veerin Auengteerasuwan, Human Resource Division Manager of Sri Trang Agro-Industry Public Company Limited (STA), together with Phuriwatt Seesuk, Community Engagement Manager of Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) Public Company Limited (STGT), jointly commented, “Employees are one of the organisation’s most valuable resources. We are therefore committed to enhancing their quality of life and supporting both their physical and mental well-being. Organising football and volleyball competitions encourages employees to exercise regularly while also providing an opportunity for colleagues from different teams and locations to connect and participate in activities together through sport. We firmly believe that healthy, happy and engaged employees are a vital force in driving Sri Trang Group towards sustainable growth.”

Triangle Tyre was honoured with the ‘2026 Green Development Model Enterprise Award’ at the 5th International Green Zero-Carbon Festival & ESG Leadership Summit in Shanghai on 29 July. The accolade recognises the manufacturer's sustained environmental commitment, operational sustainability framework and mature governance capabilities, aligned with the summit's theme of advancing green development.

The summit convened hundreds of leading enterprises for discussions on zero-carbon factories, low-carbon transitions, ESG deployment and circular economies. The award evaluates performance across strategic planning, technological innovation, clean energy adoption, supply chain management and social responsibility.

Triangle Tyre has integrated carbon neutrality into corporate strategy, establishing emission reduction targets for 2030 and a roadmap to carbon neutrality by 2050. The company holds energy efficiency ‘Leader’ status from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and national ‘Green Factory’ recognition. Manufacturing initiatives have reduced carbon intensity per product unit, while a biomass boiler retrofit increased renewable energy share.

In R&D, the company expands sustainable materials like recycled rubber and bio-based feedstocks. Supply chain efforts include green supplier evaluations, raw material traceability and a ‘zero deforestation’ pledge, with ESG metrics integrated into supplier management. The company also supports occupational health systems and public welfare initiatives. This award reflects Triangle Tyre's enduring sustainability commitment and plans to deepen ESG implementation for industry-wide green transformation.

Maxion has released its inaugural global Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), marking a unified evaluation of environmental performance across its major product categories and two dozen manufacturing sites worldwide. This comprehensive study shifts the company from fragmented individual assessments to a cohesive global framework that covers both aluminium and steel wheel production.

The assessment, adhering to ISO standards and the Environmental Footprint 3.1 methodology, analysed 16 impact categories based on 2024 operational data. A substantial reliance on primary information from essential production phases has bolstered the study's credibility and precision. The results emphasise that raw materials, especially aluminium and steel, are the primary drivers of the product carbon footprint, pointing to material sourcing and supplier collaboration as crucial areas for future mitigation strategies.

By establishing this consistent global benchmark, Maxion enhances transparency and facilitates more informed customer discussions. The standardised data not only improves comparability across its wheel portfolio but also aids in pinpointing new opportunities for environmental reduction, supporting the sustainability requirements of clients and stakeholders alike.