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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Kumho Tire USA has initiated the Georgia Veterans Tire Assistance Program, building upon its recent alliance with the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation. This new effort will distribute certificates for complete sets of four replacement tyres to 50 financially struggling veterans throughout the state, amounting to 200 tyres with a total value exceeding USD 50,000.

The programme acknowledges that dependable vehicles are critical for veterans to reach jobs, medical facilities and daily essentials. By covering the expense of new tyres, the initiative aims to ensure that recipients can travel safely and without the burden of unexpected automotive costs.

Administration of the programme falls to the GVSF, which will handle applicant selection and the distribution of certificates over the course of the year. Those not chosen in a given round may have their applications reconsidered in subsequent quarters, provided they continue to meet the established criteria.

Eligible applicants must be Georgia residents who are US military veterans, own or routinely use the vehicle in question and hold a valid licence, insurance and registration. Proof of financial hardship and tyres deemed unsafe due to wear, age or damage are also required, with a 24-month restriction on prior assistance. This marks the inaugural project under the Kumho-GVSF partnership, reflecting the tyre manufacturer’s broader dedication to enhancing community safety and mobility.

Edmund Cho, CEO, Kumho Tire USA, said, "When we announced our partnership with the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation, our goal was to identify meaningful ways to support Georgia's veterans and their families. The Georgia Veterans Tire Assistance Program puts that commitment into action by helping veterans maintain reliable transportation for work, appointments, family commitments and everyday needs."

Joe Higgins, Board Chair, Georgia Veterans Service Foundation, said, "The Georgia Veterans Service Foundation is grateful to Kumho Tire for this generous donation to help Georgia veterans continue travelling safely and stay connected to their communities. These tyre certificates will provide meaningful assistance to veterans by improving mobility, safety and access to essential resources."

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Hankook Tire has formalised a new partnership with Special Olympics Tennessee, reinforcing its commitment to community engagement and regional development in Nashville, the site of its North American headquarters. The collaboration centres on supporting the non-profit’s mission to provide year-round athletic training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

As a primary component of this alliance, Hankook Tire will sponsor and participate in the Music City Corporate Challenge, an Olympic-style event that unites Nashville-area companies in friendly sporting competition. The initiative fosters workplace wellness and camaraderie within the local business sector, ultimately culminating in the crowning of annual champions.

Further extending its support, the tyre manufacturer will also back the Unified Fore Joy Topgolf ProAm fundraising event. Scheduled for 18 September at four Tennessee locations – Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis – the golf fundraiser pairs corporate teams with Special Olympics athletes to generate direct financial support for programmes across the state.

Rob Williams, President, Hankook Tire America Corp, said, “We are excited to partner with Special Olympics Tennessee and participate in the Music City Corporate Challenge,”. “Collaboration is one of Hankook Tire’s core values, and this event provides a meaningful opportunity to connect with other businesses in Nashville while supporting Special Olympics Tennessee. We look forward to competing alongside our peers, underscoring our commitment to social programmes locally and growing together with the local community.”

Adam Germek, President & CEO, Special Olympics Tennessee, said, “Special Olympics Tennessee is thrilled to partner with the Hankook Tire team with both our Music City Corporate Challenge and Unified Fore Joy Topgolf ProAm fundraising events this year. Hankook Tire has an amazing culture of collaboration and philanthropy, and we are so grateful for Hankook Tire team’s support of Special Olympics athletes across our state.”

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Trelleborg Tires received the Best Agriculture Tyre honour at the 15th Prêmio Visão Agro Centro-Sul, a prominent agribusiness awards programme in Brazil. The ceremony took place in Piracicaba, São Paulo, on 14 July, with the accolade celebrating enterprises that drive progress in the nation’s agricultural sector through technological and solution-based contributions.

The distinction does not focus on a singular product but rather validates the overall field performance of Trelleborg’s tyre portfolio across diverse farming scenarios. Engineered specifically for Brazilian operational conditions, these tyres integrate sophisticated design with reliable on-ground results, securing trust among local farmers, contractors, dealers and original equipment manufacturers.

Brazil’s status as a leading global food producer demands constant productivity gains. Leveraging extensive experience in tyre engineering and cooperative relationships with OEMs and rural professionals, Trelleborg continues to deliver solutions tailored for the country’s primary crops. The Visão Agro Centro-Sul selection process combines technical analysis with sector-wide voting, reinforcing the award’s credibility as a key performance indicator in the industry.

Fabio Metidieri, Sales Director – Brazil, Trelleborg Tires, said, "Being recognised by professionals who work in the field every day is especially meaningful for us. This award reflects the confidence our customers place in our tyres after experiencing their performance in real operating conditions. It motivates us to continue developing tyre solutions that help customers maximise the performance of their machines and get more from every operation.”

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Pirelli has been named a ‘2026 Top Graduate Employer Brand’ in China by 51job, a leading domestic human resources firm. The recognition highlights the tyre manufacturer’s effectiveness in attracting top university talent, developing student skills and strengthening its overall employer reputation among young professionals.

Established in 2018, the award programme uses a dual-evaluation system that incorporates feedback from both corporate recruiters and student candidates to ensure impartiality. The 2026 cycle, themed ‘Without Boundaries’, judged participants on several criteria, including campus brand influence, graduate training structures, youth development culture, university partnership depth and compensation competitiveness. Pirelli’s selection underscores its strong resonance with emerging talent and validates its sustained investment in early-career recruitment.

The company operates a year-round campus engagement model, featuring recruitment drives in both spring and autumn that target engineering, business and design disciplines. Selection processes involve structured interviews, assessment centres and business case simulations. For the 2027 graduate cohort, Pirelli has opened positions across a wide array of functions, such as motorsports, research and development, quality, data analytics, production management, lean manufacturing, supply chain, electrical engineering and health, safety and environment.

New graduates enter a two-year induction known as the Warming Up @Pirelli programme, which is structured around four stages: an orientation to corporate culture and strategy, a functional deep-dive into company operations, practical tool acquisition and a reflective session to map future career paths. The initiative emphasises international exposure, cross-functional rotation, executive engagement, hands-on simulations and a round-the-clock digital resource library. Beyond onboarding, Pirelli maintains a global training architecture with four pillars – Professional Academies, School of Management, Global Activities and Local Education – offering continuous professional development across multiple fields while collaborating with top universities for localised, innovation-focused programmes.

Pirelli also champions an inclusive, equitable workplace, guided by the values of inclusion, enhancement and equal opportunity. Its global MORE welfare framework, centred on care for employees, their families and the community, delivers comprehensive health benefits, family support and volunteer engagement, reinforcing the company’s commitment to holistic people development and long-term career growth.

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