As I speak with industry members, regulators and legislators I continue to be stunned by the lack of appreciation of the very critical role that tyres play in our societies.

Governments bleat about fuel security “investing” precious currency to prop up petroleum fuel storage and production in the face of the ever-expanding development of electric vehicles and more recently the advent of hydrogen as a viable fuel with thanks to the PV (solar) industry advancements. Tyres? What do you mean tyres? Without tyres our societies would grind to a halt in the near term. How are they not a strategic consideration?

Our industries (tyre, road freight transport, mining, public transport and leisure) are facing sufficient difficulties with COVID as well as international shipping challenges to be faced with continued ignorance and negligence by our legislators and regulators.

Please review your countries legislative requirements in regards tyre inflation for light vehicles (say <4,500 kgs) and then the same requirement for heavy vehicles (>4,500 kgs). What do you find?

Mostly I think you will find that tyre inflation pressures are regulated for light vehicles via the vehicle manufacturers tyre placard. For heavy vehicles there is little, if any, such requirement. To illustrate the yawning gap between reality and regulation one peak heavy transport regulatory body published a procedure for roller brake testing for heavy vehicles. The procedure details in minute detail the requirements of the pneumatic system on the truck under test yet merely stated “tyres should be inflated.” As everyone in the tyre industry understands a tyre can be inflated at low pressures totally unrelated to actual operating pressures. What connects the brakes to the pavement? Tyres!

I’ve spoken at length about the absolute requirement for a tyre to be appropriately inflated. This is basic physics, the air molecules captured within the tyre’s air chamber actually support the applied loads. If there are insufficient molecules of air the tyre will be overworked so overheat and so enter a failure phase. There are other requirements for the inflation being the actual shaping of the tyre to interface with the pavement at the optimum level, read traction. A wide based tyre requires special construction to maintain the tread platform shape. If the inflation pressure is not at the manufacturer’s specified level will this critical shape be maintained? Then it is not only the performance of the tyre in question but also the safety of the vehicle and that of the general public in the areas this vehicle operates in.

The extensive report produced by the TNO Organisation (TNO 2013 R10986) detailed not only the exhaust emissions as a result of inappropriately inflated tyres but also the road safety outcomes. This paper is now just over eight years old but the situation with real time pressure monitoring for heavy vehicles remains as it was, 50 years or more ago. WHY? Are our regulators asleep at the wheel (or tyre some may say) through entrenched inaction and ignorance? Or is it that there are just “no votes” in tyres and everyone just ASSuMes their tyres are “ok”?

EV tyres

With the advent of electric vehicles, the ramifications for tyres are huge. In the past internal combustion engines (ICE) built up torque over a rev range, drivelines multiplied the torque developed and for heavy vehicles there is a sweet spot for torque. The multi speed gearboxes assisted the driver to maintain forward motion within this torque sweet spot. Electric motors apply maximum torque over most of their operating range. From the instant the power is applied by the driver (be that human or robotic) the tyres are under peak stress. Any deficiency within the tyre will be magnified with detrimental results. Such a deficiency may be of a manufacturing nature but this is largely controllable by the manufacturer. What is not currently controllable is the human maintenance factor, the applied inflation pressure.

Tyre manufacturers have for as long as they have been manufacturing tyres been informative about the criticality of appropriate tyre inflation. There are untold charts and pictorials showing how a tyre is influenced by under or over inflation yet our regulators and legislators continue to keep their heads buried deep out of the light. WHY when tyres are such a critical component of our modern-day motor vehicle? I would charge ignorance and negligence on one hand but then on the other suggest that because tyres work as well as they do, are as forgiving (by nature of their fundamental flexible design) our “guiding powers” can focus on other trendy and glamorous aspects such as stability control or autonomous braking. An important question for these people to consider and respond to; “what item on the vehicle transfers the power (and so directly influence these vehicle control systems) from the vehicle to the pavement (be that power tractive or retardation)? Yes of course, the humble tyre.

So, when a government sponsored or publicly funded body involved in road safety ignores tyres (for whatever reason, ignorance or negligence) are they really serving the interests of our communities and societies or are they just -- I should stop there but you know where I’m going!

The technology to monitor tyre pressures in real time is and has now been available for decades. The TREAD Act (USA) mandated tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) for light vehicles in the USA in the year 2000. This year TPMS gets a key for its birthday, yes well and truly a mature product (some may say adult) and industry yet, our regulators and legislators continue to ignore the humble tyre.

The upsides of maintaining tyres at an appropriate pressure I’ve discussed previously, all positive. The same detail has been published in many papers (such as the TNO paper!) but we as an industry continue to live in the past whilst adopting hi-tech solutions for other aspects of our industries, e.g., GPS tracking, fatigue monitoring, reefer monitoring and control, real time video surveillance of the drivers and the surrounding traffic conditions. Why? To me there is little respect paid to the critical role the tyre provides for us. So many users do not consider how the tyre works for them and why the simplest of tasks will enhance the performance, yes, I speak of inflation maintenance. Without respect the tyre will never be recognised for the contribution it has made and continues to make.

I publicly and openly challenge our tyre manufacturers as a collective to mount an education campaign to enhance the level of respect the general public has about tyres. The TIA (US) and USTMA have local campaigns on behalf of their members but I consider that until the tyre manufacturers as a collective industry actual improve the level of respect for the humble tyre we will be chasing our tails on a race to the bottom. Our tyres deserve better!

What about Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Continental, BKT, Dunlop, ZC Rubber, Hankook, Pirelli, Toyo, Sumitomo, Yokohama, Kumho, MRF, Apollo, Nokian, JKTyres, Cooper, Titan, Linglong, Triangle et al?

Remember success does not reward a lack of action. (TT)

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Prinx Chengshan took part in the SHACMAN Group Worldwide Partnership Conference in Xi'an on 15–16 October, where dealers, key accounts and industry partners from across the globe gathered. The company attended as a core strategic partner of SHACMAN and acted as exclusive tyre sponsor of the vehicle stunt show, joining domestic and international customers to examine fresh opportunities in the global commercial vehicle sector and help shape a new model of collaborative industry growth.

Cooperation between the two firms has deepened since 2024, centring on original equipment fitment for flagship high-end models including the Delong X5000 and X6000, with products offered domestically and overseas. Dependable product quality and supply chain assurance have enabled Prinx Chengshan to grow into a core tyre supplier to SHACMAN, consistently furnishing tyre solutions for its flagship ranges.

A dedicated stunt driving segment formed part of the conference, with Prinx Chengshan as sole tyre exhibitor backing the performance vehicles. Cars fitted with Chengshan XSTANCE PRO S10 and CDR621 tyres carried out sustained drifts, high-speed turns and other demanding manoeuvres, remaining stable even under extreme conditions such as tyre burnouts and showing strong wear resistance.

Li Wenli, a three-time national truck racing annual finals champion known as China's top heavy truck driver, rated the tyres highly for grip, durability and handling stability. Live demonstration in place of specification presentations made technical strengths tangible, letting partners observe stability under extreme friction and high-torque loads.

The conference allowed the company to strengthen mutual trust and communication with SHACMAN and to showcase its commercial vehicle tyre capabilities; at its 50th anniversary milestone, Prinx Chengshan reiterated its commitment to keep improving its global service network, advance alongside SHACMAN on a new globalisation journey and help build an industrial ecosystem defined by mutual benefit and collaborative development.

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Michelin has opened a 1,000 sq ft tyre and service store in Jammu in partnership with Maha Shakti Auto, expanding its retail presence in the northern Indian city.

The Michelin Tyres & Services (MTS) outlet is located in Main Bazar, Gumat, in Jammu’s commercial district. It will serve customers in the city and surrounding region, offering tyres for passenger cars, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles.

The store stocks Michelin’s Primacy, Pilot Sport, Latitude Sport and LTX Trail tyre ranges. Its facilities include wheel alignment and balancing systems, automotive accessories, and mechanical repair and maintenance services.

The outlet was inaugurated by Benjamin Coesnon, Marketing Director for India at Michelin, alongside the Maha Shakti Auto team.

Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director of Michelin India, said “Jammu is an important market in Michelin's growth in North India. Its role as a regional trade and transit hub is creating steady demand for safe, reliable and high-performance mobility solutions. Our new Michelin Tyres & Services store brings Michelin's globally benchmarked products and services closer to customers in the region. Building on our recently launched Made-in-India Primacy 5, we will keep delivering mobility solutions tailored to the evolving needs of Indian consumers."

The company said the store was designed to address driving conditions in the region, where steep gradients, sharp curves and changing weather make tyre grip, braking stability and durability important considerations.

Maha Shakti Auto has 30 years of experience in Jammu’s automotive aftermarket, according to Michelin. The partnership combines the local business’s technical expertise and market knowledge with Michelin’s tyre technology and product range.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that the No. 77 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, fielded by Schubert Motorsport and fitted with the company's ADVAN global flagship tyres, secured the NLS Speed Trophy series championship. The award goes to the team accumulating the most points across all classes throughout Germany's Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). As the series champion in the NLS premier SP9 Pro class, the No. 77 also claimed a KW Team Trophy, presented to the car and team with the highest points total in each class.

This season marked Yokohama Rubber's role as an official partner of BMW M Motorsport in the NLS, with the No. 77 BMW M4 GT3 EVO carrying ADVAN colouring. Across the 10-round campaign, the ADVAN-shod No. 77 produced consistently strong results, earning two overall victories and two second-place finishes. The ADVAN A005 for dry conditions and ADVAN A006 for wet conditions supplied the grip and durability needed to contend in fiercely competitive races across varying weather. ADVAN-equipped cars had previously taken the NLS Speed Trophy in 2020 and 2023.

Beyond the NLS, Yokohama Rubber partnered with BMW M Motorsport at May's ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. The No. 77 ADVAN-coloured entry placed 8th overall and 7th in the SP9 class, while BMW M Motorsport's No. 81 BMW M3 Touring 24H, also on ADVAN tyres, took 4th overall and 1st in the SP-X class.

Under its three-year (2024–2026) medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), the company's consumer tyre strategy seeks to maximise sales ratios of high-value-added tyres by expanding the ADVAN and GEOLANDAR brands, winter tyres and 18-inch and larger products. Yokohama Rubber views motorsport participation as vital to strengthening ADVAN and GEOLANDAR, and continues to compete in a wide range of events worldwide, from top-category to grassroots racing.

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Prinx Chengshan presented its Chengshan brand at the 140th China Import and Export Fair, which opened in Guangzhou on 15 October. The Canton Fair, known as China's leading trade event, has a history of nearly seven decades and functions as an indicator of the country's foreign trade while offering Chinese brands a platform to demonstrate innovation and meet international buyers.

At the fair, the company highlighted products including the ET16 wide-body dump truck tyre, whose wide and deep transverse tread grooves provide strong traction for smooth starts on soft, uneven mining terrain and help lower risks such as wheel slip and vehicles becoming stuck. The ELD12 loader tyre was also featured for its wear resistance and load-bearing capacity across demanding conditions, with resistance to excessive deformation under heavy loads supporting stable and safe equipment operation.

The participation coincides with Chengshan Group's 50th anniversary and Prinx Chengshan's accelerating global expansion. Founded in Rongcheng, Shandong Province, in 1976, the company now operates three production bases, two R&D centres, three sales centres and four technical centres worldwide. On 9 October, its Malaysia plant produced its first tyre less than 11 months after construction began, marking progress in overseas production and supply chain resilience.

Prinx Chengshan has also increased investment in the off-the-road tyre segment, operating a green and smart OTR tyre factory in Shandong and achieving mass production of giant tyres in sizes including 27.00R49, 30.00R51 and 33.00R51, while rolling out its first 57-inch giant tyre, size 46/90R57. Its OTR products serve mining, construction, ports, airports, agriculture and industrial operations, offering system solutions for global agricultural mechanisation, engineering projects and resource development.

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