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.
Point S Launches First Own-Branded Truck Tyre Range At Solutrans
- By TT News
- November 21, 2025
In a significant strategic expansion, Point S, one of the world’s largest independent tyre and automotive service networks, has introduced its first proprietary line of truck tyres. The official launch occurred at the Solutrans exhibition in Lyon, representing a major advancement in the company's deep involvement with the commercial vehicle industry. Already a well-established force in the truck tyre markets of Europe and North America, Point S is leveraging its expertise to introduce the Point S Tyres Truck range. This initiative is seen as a disruptive move in the international sector, extending the group's reputation for quality and its independent ethos to a wider base of transport professionals.
The comprehensive range consists of eight key sizes, all certified with the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, guaranteeing reliable winter performance and year-round usability. Two notable products within the line are the Mixed Service tyre, designed for extreme conditions with optimised durability and stone penetration resistance, and the Regional Haul tyre, noted for its versatility, robustness and full 3PMSF certification across all sizes. Production for these tyres will be handled by a premium truck and bus radial manufacturer based in Poland and Turkey. A key logistical benefit for Point S members is the ability to combine orders from both production facilities into a single shipment, enhancing ordering flexibility and overall supply chain efficiency.
This new private label range is engineered to provide long-lasting value for independent retailers, featuring high-performance solutions that are both regroovable and retreadable. By moving into the truck tyre segment, Point S now offers its global network of members a complete portfolio that previously included only passenger and premium tyres. This empowers members to more effectively and competitively serve fleet operators and other clients with a compelling price-to-performance ratio.
Fabien Bouquet, CEO, Point S International, said, “This launch represents a key step in our journey to support our members and their customers with complete mobility solutions. Transport professionals need tyres that deliver performance, durability and value, which is exactly what this range delivers. It also marks an important milestone in our long-term strategy to strengthen our position in the commercial vehicle sector and to bring more innovation, choice and independence to the truck tyre market.”
Emilie Faure, International Private Labels Product Manager, said, “From the outset, our goal has always been to replicate the strategy and success of our Point S Tyres passenger car range by extending it to the commercial vehicle market with the launch of Point S Tyres Truck. To support this development, we involved selected Point S members and some of our small and medium-sized fleet clients from various countries to test the product. Initial feedback has been extremely positive, with testers particularly impressed with the range’s performing, as well as its quality and competitiveness in real-world operations.”
Tyres Europe Reports Year-on-Year Decline In European Replacement Tyre Sales
- By TT News
- November 21, 2025
According to Tyres Europe's sales data for the Q3 and the first three quarters of 2025, the overall tyre market has demonstrated general stability. Adam McCarthy, the organisation's Secretary General, reported that despite this, demand for Truck and Bus tyres has remained persistently weak. Cumulative figures for the year so far indicate that total tyre volumes are lower than those recorded during the same period in 2024.
Within the Consumer segment, third-quarter sales were stable, yet they reflect a slight decrease for the year to date. A notable trend is the shifting consumer preference away from summer tyres and towards all-season and winter products. The Truck and Bus segment experienced a continued decline, with the year's sales also down slightly, a situation attributed to regional economic softness and a rise in tyre imports. Meanwhile, the Agricultural tyre market saw stable volumes in the quarter, though they remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
The full Quarterly Update, prepared by Astutus Research, is available for download on the Tyres Europe website.
Goodyear India Reports Weaker Quarterly Profit As Costs Rise And Sales Soften
- By TT News
- November 21, 2025
Goodyear India reported a decline in quarterly profit as softer demand and higher expenses offset modest revenue growth, while the company announced board changes and new senior management appointments.
The tyremaker’s standalone profit after tax fell to INR INR 134.7 million for the quarter ended 30 September 2025, down from INR 143.1 million in the same period last year, according to financial statements approved by the board.
Total income for the quarter edged up to INR 5.8441 billion from INR 5.6835 billion a year earlier, though margin pressures persisted.
Profit before tax for the quarter stood at INR 180.7 million , down from INR 195.1 million in the previous year, reflecting higher input costs and muted replacement demand. Performance in the half-year to September also trailed the prior period, with profit after tax at INR 317.6 million compared with INR 363.7 million last year.
Alongside the earnings announcement, Goodyear India disclosed several board changes. Varsha Chaudhary Jain tendered her resignation as Whole-Time Director, effective 31 December, citing personal reasons. Rajiv Lochan Jain will complete his second term as Independent Non-Executive Director on the same date.
The board has approved the appointment of Gajanan Vithal Gandhe as an Independent Non-Executive Director from 1 January 2026 for a five-year term, subject to shareholder approval. The company stated that he “is not debarred from holding the office of a Director by virtue of any order passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India or any other Authority.”
Goodyear India also designated three senior executives as Key Managerial Personnel for determining material events under SEBI’s disclosure rules from 1 January: Arvind Bhandari, Chairman and Managing Director; Sandeep Garg, Whole-Time Director and CFO; and Anup Karnwal, Company Secretary and Compliance Officer.
MRF Posts Stronger Quarterly Profit On Softer Input Costs Despite Monsoon Drag
- By TT News
- November 21, 2025
MRF, India’s largest tyre manufacturer, reported higher quarterly earnings as easing raw material prices offset the seasonal weakness in domestic demand, even as exports held up against tariff pressures.
The Chennai-based group said consolidated total income rose 7 percent year on year to INR 74.87 billion for the three months to 30 September, compared with INR 69.94 billion in the same period last year. Consolidated profit before tax increased to INR 6.99 billion from INR 6.31 billion, while net profit climbed to INR 5.26 billion from INR 4.71 billion.
The company attributed the improved bottom line to “softening of raw material prices”, according to a statement released after its board meeting on 14 November.
Sales in the second quarter are typically slower because of the monsoon season, a trend the company noted once again. Even so, original equipment demand “continued to have a strong double digit growth” and exports “performed well despite tariff issues”. MRF added that the government’s mid-quarter announcement of a reduction in goods and services tax had briefly damped replacement sales, though it expects the revised rate to support volume growth in subsequent quarters.
The board declared an interim dividend of INR 3 per share for the financial year ending 31 March 2026.
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