Smart mobility is as relevant as ever, with growing urbanisation rates in almost all countries across the globe. But the concept isn’t new. At least I recall reading about the future of driving when I was very young, and a university project concluded that in the future, cars would be able to connect to each other and slide onto some sort of rail system when driving on the highway, so nobody would have to worry about steering or speeding when covering the long stretches of the journey. Not surprising, the project couldn’t have been more wrong in its conclusion. But why didn’t it work? It would have reduced accidents, pollutant emissions, road wear and maintenance costs, and it would have probably been quite easy to develop guiding chips and software to let cars in and out of the chain.

Well, the answer is simple, and is proven by the fact that car sales are still going up worldwide in spite of an ever-growing range of alternative transportation methods available to the buyers: freedom. As global wealth keeps increasing, all societies can recognize that the first luxury people growing out of poverty take is to buy a car, in many cases even before considering taking out a mortgage to buy a house. Why do they do that? Obviously to signal their increased wealth to the people around them (it’s harder to show if your house is bought or rented), but also to enjoy the freedom of being able to go exactly where they want to go and when. In these corona times being able to move about without bumping into others in public transportation is of course also an important factor. If this wasn’t the case, car sales would be dropping rapidly. Public transportation is cheaper, if you compare it to total cost of ownership of a car it’s easy math, and in many cases it’s also faster and easier. Plus, you can be productive getting some work done or enjoying a good rest when you don’t have to sit at the wheel in a traffic jam.

For those who care about global warming and reducing the environmental impact, there’s even further incentive to get rid of the car, but still, this is not what we see in the new car sales figures – although you could argue that some people buy a new car because it pollutes less than the old one.

Bicycles

With all the new technology, it will be very interesting to see how smart mobility will be implemented in cities across the globe, and if it will change the trend for good. After all, it’s be big cities with massive population numbers that will make a difference for the planet. If we look at a city like Copenhagen, it has for many years focused on being the world’s best city to ride a bicycle in, and it has implemented many innovative structures allowing cyclists to zip from one place to another in a matter of minutes with minimal need to stop along the way. Some places bridges have been built just to cater to cyclists. No doubt you can get around faster and cheaper in Copenhagen if you ride a bike than by any other means of transportation.

Another thing that is becoming increasingly interesting in the big cities is the drone technology, now we have seen Chinese firefighters putting out high-rise fires using drones controlled from the ground, and many places they have also begun working as parcel or food delivery agents. But is there a viable case to argue that we will all be flying in private drone vessels instead of driving in cars in the coming decade? I wouldn’t bet my money on it. First of all, it would take long until the general public would trust a drone manufacturer enough to not fear dropping to the ground or being flung into a building or another drone mid-air at any moment. Second of all, they would most definitely run on electricity, which we know from electric cars means very heavy batteries and/or short operation times. Probably in colder regions you would also struggle with much lower performance during winter, and possibly weather conditions not allowing them to take off.

That’s another nightmare scenario – to be caught in a thunderstorm or hailstorm up in the air.

Naturally, the ultimate challenge would be that everyone would basically need to have a pilot license to operate them, and air traffic control would be an entirely new concept in this scenario. We have all seen movies like Stars Wars or The Fifth Element where flying vehicles somehow get into invisible lanes and layers, but it’s hard to see how that can go from fiction to reality.

Urban hubs

So, how can consumers most likely have their desire for freedom fulfilled within a smart mobility concept? Most likely by creating urban hubs or city line parking facilities, so it’s easy to take the car to, from, or between cities, but not inside them. At these hubs, you would park the car and jump on the next shuttle to anywhere in the city, or even ride a bike that you brought with you. Designing these hubs, along with ample green areas in the cities, is the only way that any city planner can create the grounds for real smart mobility, and not take people’s freedom away from them. Then the only thing left is to address the issue of the environmental impact caused by passenger cars, both combustion engine emissions and tyre pollution from wear during use and waste management at end of tyre life.

Tyre manufacturers don’t seem to be making huge changes to the technology yet, except for a few innovative products like the Michelin Tweel – and the ultimate challenge is of course that the vehicle so far has to be in contact with the road surface to move and handle satisfactorily. It’s hard to imagine any tyre concept where rubber against the road surface isn’t involved, and it’s also hard to imagine any tyre manufacturer supporting such a project, given the massive investments they have in their production equipment, which isn’t easy to readjust to put out something else. Well, at least not any serious manufacturer – there was a Chinese plant that stopped producing tyres this year to start producing face masks instead because of corona demand, but that probably says something about the quality of both products coming out of that factory, and it makes me very interested in reading their mission statement.

Ultimately, for tyre manufacturers to start investing in any game changing product development, we would have to see a development like we have seen with British Tobacco actually advertising against smoking – which is very much in line with the trends of the day but doesn’t seem rational from a business perspective. So, to conclude, I’ll venture a bet that we won’t see any drastic changes in how much smarter our mobility options will become until we either see a scenario that will allow people to experience the same level of freedom as owning a car, drastically reducing the environmental impact from driving and tyre waste, and/or creating cities where it utterly doesn’t make any sense to drive instead of hopping on the city’s smart mobility system, whatever that might turn out to be.

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Bridgestone’s newly launched Total Cost of Ownership platform emerged as a central attraction at this year’s Road Transport Expo, where fleet operators gathered to examine how customised data analytics can refine logistical expenditures. The tool, which made its premiere at the Stoneleigh event, drew thousands of attendees eager to explore the practical applications of operational metrics in minimising fleet-related outlays. Organisers recorded a total turnout of 13,325 visitors, a significant portion of whom engaged directly with Bridgestone’s commercial team to assess the platform’s capabilities.

The TCO Calculator allows transport companies to input their specific performance data, generating individualised cost comparisons that move beyond generic industry benchmarks. This tailored approach enables managers to pinpoint potential savings and make commercially sound choices based on their unique operational profiles. Concurrently, the booth featured ongoing presentations of Bridgestone’s broader portfolio, including premium truck tyres, Bandag retreading systems, Fleetcare services and Webfleet’s digital tools, all of which sustained a steady flow of professional inquiries throughout the event.

Product highlights included the ECOPIA with ENLITEN technology, promoted for its fuel-saving attributes, and the Duravis line, engineered for extended mileage and reduced early tyre removal. Bandag’s retread offerings also drew considerable attention, underscoring the industry’s shifting focus towards sustainable practices that prolong casing life and diminish waste. These presentations reinforced the message that performance need not be sacrificed for ecological or economic benefits.

The exhibition underscored Bridgestone’s broader strategy of lowering total ownership costs through an integrated mix of tyre manufacturing, retreading, telematics and expert consultation. Additional Webfleet innovations, such as AI-powered Fleet Advisor, connected cameras and PRO Driver Terminals, highlighted the role of interconnected technology in boosting safety and regulatory compliance. The positive reception of the TCO platform confirmed that data-centric decision-making is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern transport management.

David Almazan, Head of Region and Commercial Business Unit Director, said, “RTX proved to be a fantastic opportunity to meet with customers and have meaningful conversations about the challenges they're facing. There was a real appetite to explore new ways of reducing operating costs, and the response to Bridgestone’s new Total Cost of Ownership platform. The number of visitors wanting to understand how the tool works and how it can be applied to their own operations showed us that fleets are increasingly looking beyond individual products and taking a broader view of total operating costs. That's exactly what the TCO tool has been designed to support.

“RTX continues to be one of the UK's most important events for the commercial vehicle sector, and this year's show demonstrated just how engaged the industry is in finding smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. The quality of conversations we had throughout the three days was exceptional. It wasn't simply about introducing new products; it was about working alongside fleets to understand their businesses and identify practical solutions that deliver long-term value. That's exactly where Bridgestone can make a real difference.”

Alex Crane-Robinson, Webfleet Regional Director, UK and Ireland, said, “The conversations we had at RTX highlighted the growing importance of our technology in helping operators manage increasingly complex and demanding operations. By giving fleets clearer visibility of their vehicles, drivers and day-to-day performance, data insights can help them identify opportunities to improve efficiency, support compliance and control costs. RTX offered a valuable opportunity to demonstrate how Webfleet can help operators use these insights to make faster, better-informed decisions.”

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The Bundeskartellamt has levied fines totalling EUR 11.9 million against Maxxis International GmbH, Best4Tires Berlin GmbH and Reifen Müller GmbH & Co. KG, alongside an individual responsible for the infractions. Maxxis, functioning as the exclusive German importer for Taiwanese manufacturer Cheng Shin Rubber, supplies tyres under its own brand and the CST label, while the other two firms operate as domestic wholesalers.

The proceedings originated when a competing wholesaler disclosed the restrictive practices to the authority and agreed to cooperate fully. The allegations centre on a coordinated scheme to control pricing within the German wholesale market for Maxxis and CST tyres. At the end of 2015, Maxxis, responding to commercial pressure from wholesalers including the predecessor of Best4Tires Berlin and Reifen Müller, initiated margin guarantee contracts that assured fixed profit margins on each tyre sold, later extending similar deals to nine additional distributors.

Central to the arrangement was a tacit agreement that wholesalers would avoid price leadership and adopt only a defensive sales posture, particularly on the Tyre24 online platform. Maxxis concurrently deployed a price moderation framework that prescribed recommended resale prices, continuously monitored actual market prices via buyer accounts on the platform, and systematically intervened against perceived underpricing. This system persisted until July 2024, when the company abandoned the practice and terminated all remaining margin agreements following the cartel office’s intervention.

The authority also determined that the two wholesalers had actively pursued and benefited from these margin guarantees, with Best4Tires Berlin inheriting liability for its predecessor’s continuation of the anti-competitive behaviour after its 2022 acquisition. Mitigating factors in the penalty assessment included cooperation from Maxxis and Best4Tires Berlin, alongside settlements agreed by Maxxis and Reifen Müller. The fine orders remain subject to appeal before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court, which will conduct a full factual and legal review of the case.

Andreas Mundt, President, Bundeskartellamt, said, “Vertical price-fixing agreements tend to put consumers at a disadvantage as they often lead to excessive prices. The Bundeskartellamt vigorously prosecutes such practices, which have already been prohibited since the early 1970s. In any case, agreements guaranteeing distributors a certain margin violate competition law if, as here, they contain provisions on distributors’ selling prices, thereby restricting their freedom to set prices.”

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PT Tiga Berlian Mandiri (Tiberman), an Indonesian importer and distributor of tyres and wheels, used Tiberman Expo 2026 to showcase its expanding business portfolio, strengthen industry partnerships and launch a new renewable energy business.

Held at the company's Super Area in Gresik, East Java, the exhibition brought together representatives from more than 70 companies, government officials and international tyre suppliers. The event featured hundreds of tyre and wheel products and was hosted at one of Tiberman's 15 Super Areas across Indonesia.

Built around the company's philosophy, "We Provide Solutions", the exhibition focused on integrated business solutions for industries including transportation, logistics, mining, plantations, manufacturing and construction, rather than solely on product displays.

The event also served as a platform for collaboration between industry, government institutions and international partners. Visitors explored tyre and wheel solutions for commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, heavy equipment and specialised industrial applications, while Tiberman sought to strengthen customer relationships and support improvements in operational efficiency and reliability.

Alongside the exhibition, Tiberman Group inaugurated the second warehouse of PT Fie Min Logistics, its bonded logistics and warehousing subsidiary. Representatives from the East Java Regional Office of Indonesia's Directorate General of Customs and Excise officiated at the opening.

According to the company, the new facility will increase storage capacity, improve distribution across Indonesia and enhance customer service.

Tiberman also announced the launch of PT Ethlon Energy Indonesia, marking its entry into the renewable energy sector.

The new company will provide consulting, system integration and installation services for solar photovoltaic power systems, targeting mining companies, plantations, industrial operations and large corporate customers. Tiberman said the expansion reflects increasing demand for energy solutions that are more efficient, reliable and environmentally responsible.

The company said the move broadens its position from a product-focused business to an integrated solutions provider spanning tyres, wheels, logistics and renewable energy.

During the exhibition, Tiberman also received two recognitions from the Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI). The awards recognised what the company described as Indonesia's first tyre featuring a batik motif on its sidewall and the first tyre incorporating inspirational quotations into its tread design.

PT Tiga Berlian Mandiri said the exhibition reinforces its long-term strategy of expanding its distribution network, strengthening logistics capabilities and developing new business segments while supporting customers across multiple industries through its nationwide network of 15 Super Areas.

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Birla Tyres has officially joined the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), becoming the newest member of the leading industry body. The company, with its registered office in Kolkata, operates a large-scale manufacturing facility in Balasore, Odisha, which spans 195 acres and is dedicated to producing a diverse range of speciality tyres.

Based in New Delhi, ATMA represents major tyre manufacturers that account for more than 80 percent of domestic production. The association serves as a vital link between the government and the industry while also engaging with media, opinion leaders and international trade bodies to advocate for the sector’s perspectives.

ATMA actively participates in policy formulation and regularly consults with government departments on economic challenges affecting the industry. Its existing membership includes prominent firms such as MRF Tyres, JK Tyre & Industries, CEAT Ltd and Bridgestone India, the local subsidiary of the Japanese tyre giant.

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