Nokian Tyres recently opened its new passenger car tyre factory in Oradea, Romania. Interestingly, the factory operates without utilising any fossil energy, making it the world’s first full-scale tyre factory with zero CO2 emissions. 

After two years of work the factory inauguration sets the ground for commercial production in early 2025. It was inaugurated in the presence of high-level Romanian government and local authorities; Ambassadors of Finland and Romania; together with Nokian Tyres’ Board of Directors, management team and 200 guests.   

Jukka Moisio, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres said, “We are very pleased to be inaugurating our Oradea factory today. It will strengthen our capability to serve our customers in Central Europe and beyond and support our growth as planned toward net sales of EUR 2 billion. With our full-scale zero CO2 emission tire factory we are ready to lead the industry and set the new standard for sustainable tire manufacturing.” 

At the Nokian Tyres Oradea factory, no energy generated by fossil fuels is used. This enables the whole factory to operate with zero CO2 emissions. This is achieved through a combination of solutions. 

“The factory makes Nokian Tyres, once more, a pioneer of the tyre industry. All electricity used at the Romania Oradea factory is CO2 emission free. Part of the electricity used in the factory is generated by on-site solar power units. Steam used to cure the tyres is generated by innovative electric boilers which use fully CO2 emission free electricity instead of the usual fossil fuels such as coal or gas. In addition, the tyre manufacturing process is very energy efficient as we are only utilising the most modern technology and machinery. With our new Oradea factory, we are truly demonstrating our commitment to sustainability,” stated Adrian Kaczmarczyk, SVP, Operation Excellence, Nokian Tyres.  

It was in July 2024, the factory produced its first tyre and the project is ramping up to the annual capacity of 6 million tyres, with expansion potential in the future. The factory will focus on passenger car tyre production to be primarily sold in the Central European market. 

The factory spread across 54 hectares and the facility includes the production unit, a distribution facility for storage and distribution of tyres, and mixing, utility and administrative buildings. The combined built-up area totals approximately 100,000 square metres. 

Largest foreign investment in Romania

Nokian Tyres states that it chose Oradea in North-West of Romania as the location for the new tyre factory as a result of a thorough evaluation, including more than 40 sites in various European countries. Among the criteria supporting the decision were talent, business environment, infrastructure, real estate and utilities, operational cost and risks.  

Susanna Tusa, General Director and Vice-President, Nokian Tyres Romania said, “The work done in the last years is aimed at bringing us closer to our customers, creating a sound foundation for future sustainable growth. Oradea is now home to us, and we are committed to be a good neighbour, supporting the community, the regional economy and each member of our team.” 

The total value of the project is approximatively EUR 650 million, which positions the Finnish company as one of the largest foreign investors in Romania in the recent years. To finance its sustainable tire manufacturing investment, Nokian Tyres will receive state aid from the Romanian government worth some EUR 100 million and an investment loan from European Investment Bank worth EUR 150 million.  

Along with the construction work, Nokian Tyres conducted a recruitment campaign for attracting skilled employees, with a focus on local talents in Bihor County. The planned headcount of the Oradea factory is about 500 people. By end-2024, the number is expected to reach 300, and the process will continue in 2025. 

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Liberty Tire Recycling partnered with Henry County staff and volunteers for a three-day Tire Amnesty Event at the County Barn last week, during which thousands of scrap tyres were collected from residents seeking free and responsible disposal. The recurring programme, offered every three years, drew a steady stream of vehicles ranging from cars and trucks to trailers and farm equipment, generating sizable piles of tyres and underscoring both strong community participation and the persistent need for proper recycling.

County personnel, including Jason Stanley, Jeremy Raisor, James Nutgrass, Darrell Abbott, Zach Smith and Travis Buchanan, worked continuously to unload and organise tyres as residents arrived. Among those taking part was New Castle resident Charles Miller, who delivered over 100 tyres, many from demolition derby vehicles, and also brought tyres on behalf of several family members so that materials from multiple properties could be recycled.

Photo by The Henry County Local

Stanley reported that turnout substantially exceeded the previous amnesty event held three years ago, with residents arriving consistently throughout the collection period. Such events offer a convenient way to remove scrap tyres that might otherwise accumulate on properties, create safety hazards and serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests, thereby reducing environmental risks and advancing sustainable waste management.

Officials applaud the Kentucky Division of Waste Management and its local partners for organising these programmes, noting that states collecting mandatory tyre disposal or recycling fees can reinvest them in amnesty days that channel waste tyres into the recycling stream and deter illegal dumping. While the final tally remains pending, county officials anticipate the total will rank among the most successful amnesty events in recent years.

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Max Verstappen secured his first pole position of the season for the Bahrain Grand Prix, lapping fastest at 1:35.130. Lewis Hamilton took second with a 1:35.428. Pirelli’s Soft compound played a decisive role, as the top three all set their best times on the red-marked tyre. Isack Hadjar originally qualified third but will not start from that grid slot due to a penalty.

Kimi Antonelli, fourth fastest in qualifying, will instead line up third. Hamilton began qualifying on the Medium before switching to the Soft, a strategy mirrored by Charles Leclerc, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. The remaining drivers relied solely on the C4. Verstappen used four new Soft sets and improved his benchmark in the final sector on his last flying run.

Track temperatures peaked at 54°C during FP3 before cloud cover arrived. All three compounds appeared in the session, though most drivers concentrated on the C4. Leclerc alone ran the Hard before moving to a new Soft set. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Verstappen and Hadjar used the Medium, with the reigning champion setting his best time on the C3.

Antonelli topped FP3 at 1:36.302, ahead of Verstappen on 1:36.580 and Hadjar on 1:36.860. The Pirelli Pole Position Award was presented by Alvin Chong, a Malaysian actor and singer recognised across Malaysian and Chinese entertainment.

Dario Marrafuschi, Pirelli Motorsport Director, said, “Track conditions improved progressively throughout the day, allowing the Soft compound to deliver a very competitive level of performance in qualifying. Despite this, lap times remained significantly slower than those predicted by the simulations, indicating that the track evolution was not sufficient to close the gap. In the attempt to extract the maximum potential from the C4 immediately, the degradation generated on the compound meant that no genuinely competitive laps could be completed after the first flying lap today. At the same time, in yesterday’s running it demonstrated that it can maintain an acceptable level of consistency over race distances when it is brought gradually into its correct operating window over the opening laps. This characteristic could prove particularly important tomorrow, given the number of Soft sets retained by several teams.

“Tomorrow’s Grand Prix looks especially interesting from a strategic perspective. Most drivers have two sets of Hard tyres available, which should provide a solid option for the longer stints thanks to their greater thermal resistance and lower degradation compared to the softer compounds. On paper, the Medium-Hard-Hard and Soft-Hard-Hard combinations appear to be among the most competitive. There are, however, some particular situations, such as those of Verstappen and Leclerc, who each have only one set of C2 tyres available and may therefore consider different approaches, making greater use of the Soft and Medium compounds or even evaluating three-stop strategies. In this scenario, the range of possibilities becomes much broader, with shorter stints and increased flexibility. By contrast, we are unlikely to see one-stop strategies, which on paper offer no advantage in terms of total race time at a circuit where overtaking remains possible at several points around the track. Finally, there remains an element of uncertainty related to the weather, with a chance of rain that could influence the teams’ strategic choices.”

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American tyre brand General Tire is marking 111 years since its founding on 29 September 1915, when William O’Neil and Winfred Fouse established the General Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. What started as a regional tyre maker has evolved into an internationally recognised brand, especially noted for durable tyres suited to SUVs, off-road vehicles and pickups. Since 1987, the company has operated as part of Continental.

The brand’s history tracks closely with the growth of the North American automotive sector. During the 1920s, General Tire earned attention for its ‘General Balloon Jumbos’, which helped push tyre technology forward. As operations grew, the company widened its international reach and became a supplier to major vehicle manufacturers.

William O'Neil, Founder of General Tire

General Tire and Continental first connected in March 1949 through a cooperation agreement covering the exchange of technical expertise and know-how. By the late 1950s, General Tire had opened a tyre testing facility in Uvalde, Texas, then regarded as the largest of its kind worldwide. Continental’s 1987 acquisition opened a new chapter, giving the parent company a global production and sales network for the first time while allowing General Tire to pair its American heritage with worldwide development and manufacturing strength.

Today, the portfolio spans applications from the Grabber GT Plus road tyre and Grabber Cross A/S all-season tyre to the Snow Grabber Plus winter tyre and the Grabber AT3 Plus and Grabber X3 off-road models, all reflecting performance, reliability and American heritage. For the anniversary, General Tire introduced the next-generation Grabber AT3 Plus, an all-terrain successor to the Grabber AT3 with better snow traction, improved wet-road grip and a tread pattern built for demanding off-road use.

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Dunlop Motorcycle Europe is set to support a star-studded rider roster at this weekend’s FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in Ernée, France, aiming to cap another standout motocross season. The tyre range available to competitors includes the sand-focused Geomax MX14 for loose surfaces, the intermediate Geomax MX34 and the Geomax MX54, which has become the preferred choice across a wide range of intermediate and hardpack tracks.

The company will supply tyres to 32 riders representing 16 nations, drawing talent from the FIM Motocross World Championship, North America’s Supercross and Pro Motocross series and other competitions. The event follows last weekend’s season-ending MXGP of Australia, with many of the sport’s top names returning to action in pursuit of the Chamberlain Trophy.

Dunlop has built a formidable recent record at the MXoN, having equipped riders from every winning nation over the past four editions. Team Australia took consecutive victories in 2024 and 2025, Team France claimed the title in 2023 and Team USA won in 2022. This year, Australia arrives with an entirely new lineup in Jed Beaton, Alex Larwood and Aaron Tanti, while the United States fields an all-Dunlop trio led by three-time 450 cc AMA Supercross champion Cooper Webb, joined by Julien Beaumer and Levi Kitchen.

For France, MXGP runner-up Romain Febvre spearheads the Dunlop contingent and is joined by fellow Kawasaki Racing Team rider Mathis Valin. Two-time MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado will represent Spain alongside newly crowned MX2 World Champion Guillem Farres. A host of other leading MXGP and MX2 competitors will also run Dunlop, including Camden McLellan for South Africa, Liam Everts for Belgium, Pauls Jonass for Latvia and Jeremy Seewer for Switzerland.

The MXoN serves as a fitting finale to a season of significant success for Dunlop across European and North American series. In the United States, Ken Roczen captured his first 450 cc AMA Supercross title on Dunlop, extending the brand’s streak of winning every AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross championship since 2010.

In the FIM Motocross World Championship, Guillem Farres secured the MX2 crown and led Triumph Racing to a one-two finish with teammate Camden McLellan. The pair combined for 11 of 19 Grand Prix victories. In MXGP, Romain Febvre finished runner-up, while Kiara Fontanesi narrowly missed a historic seventh WMX title, winning at Foxhills in July and adding three second-place finishes.

Wim Van Achter, Motorcycle Motorsport Manager EMEA, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, “The fact that so many top riders continue to choose Dunlop Geomax tyres underlines the Geomax range’s performance credentials. We work closely with top riders to develop new Geomax products, using their feedback to refine our tyre technology. Our most recent innovation, Geomax MX54, makes the Geomax range our strongest and most versatile motocross range yet, drawing on our knowledge from winning top professional championships. With its broader scope, it could be the tyre of choice for Ernée’s traditional hardpack clay circuit this weekend.”

Eddy Seel, MXGP Event Leader, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, said, “We are honoured that Dunlop Geomax tyres are the products of choice for 32 of the world’s most talented riders representing 16 different nations. The level of competition is always high at MXoN, but Dunlop has a history of success. Our riders have already proven the performance and reliability of the Dunlop Geomax range all season long, so we’re ready to continue with that this weekend. Allez!”

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