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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Just Tires has opened a new location at 112 N Larkin Ave. in Joliet, bringing expert tyre and automotive care to a community known for its cruise nights and race weekends. The store welcomed customers on 23 September 2026, offering drivers a trusted destination for maintaining the vehicles that keep them moving.

Backed by more than 125 years of Goodyear expertise, the Joliet store’s technicians help customers select the right tyres and care for their vehicles, whether for daily commutes or trips to the track. The location carries a broad selection of Goodyear and Cooper tyres, including the Eagle F1 All Season for year-round performance, the Wrangler Steadfast HT for highway comfort, the Assurance WeatherReady 2 for all-weather driving and the ElectricDrive 2 for EV-focused performance, along with high-performance, all-weather and all-terrain options.

Services at the new store include tyre installation, TPMS sensors, air refills, oil changes, wheel alignments, brake service, battery replacement and free maintenance inspections. With cooler weather approaching, every service includes a complimentary Courtesy Tire & Maintenance Inspection covering tyre pressure, tread depth, battery, brakes and accessible fluids, plus free air to support proper inflation, performance and fuel efficiency.

To celebrate the opening, a sweepstakes running from 15 September through 15 October invites fans to purchase a set of four Goodyear tyres on Goodyear.com or through Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires stores and submit an entry form. One randomly selected winner will receive a blimp flight certificate for two passengers, redeemable at any of Goodyear’s three US airship bases in Akron, Ohio, Carson, California or Pompano Beach, Florida.

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Sri Trang Group has been recognised for its philanthropic support with a plaque of appreciation at the Mahidol Day 2026 ceremony. The award was accepted by Somporn Pannarai, Chief Procurement Officer of Sri Trang Agro-Industry Public Company Limited (STA), on behalf of the Group's management. The presentation took place on 24 September 2026 at the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University.

The plaque honoured benefactors who contributed to the work of the Faculty of Medicine and the Songklanagarind Hospital Foundation during the southern Thailand floods in 2025. Mahidol Day itself commemorates His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and his lasting contributions to medicine and public health across the nation.

With its origins in southern Thailand, Sri Trang Group – represented by STA and Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) Public Company Limited (STGT) – stated it was honoured to have backed initiatives benefiting the public. The Group reiterated its dedication to enhancing quality of life and supporting communities both in the South and throughout the country.

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Dr William Mars, Founder and President of Endurica, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Rubber Division, American Chemical Society (ACS) Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award. The honour recognises exceptional technical competency demonstrated through significant and repeated contributions to rubber science and technology.

Dr Mars is widely regarded as a pioneer in elastomer durability, having developed critical plane analysis methods and fatigue life simulation techniques that are now employed throughout the global tire and rubber industry.

The award will be presented during a special event at the Global Polymer Summit (GPS), scheduled for 28–30 September in Louisville, Kentucky. As part of a science and technology awards symposium at the summit, the Endurica leader will deliver a special lecture.

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Linglong Tire, the Chinese manufacturer, is to invest an estimated USD 270 million in a new tyre factory in Egypt, as part of a strategy to expand its footprint across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The company has established Linglong Tire Egypt Co, Ltd to run the Shandong Linglong Tyre Co Overseas (Egypt) Investment and Construction Project. The registered name remains subject to confirmation by local authorities, which are reviewing a missing company registration certificate.

The factory will be built in Borg El Arab, 45 km south of Alexandria, on a site covering approximately 251,460 square metres. Construction is expected to take two years and will include the plant itself, along with civil buildings, infrastructure, landscaping and other support works.

Once operational, the site is expected to produce about 6m car tyres a year, generating annual sales of approximately USD 175  million and a net profit of around USD 35 million.

Linglong said the investment was designed to serve both the Egyptian market and its core markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where the automotive sector has grown steadily in recent years. Egypt's location, at the intersection of Asia, Africa and Europe and close to the Suez Canal, was cited as a factor in the decision, alongside access to local ports and logistics networks that could help lower supply-chain costs.

The Egyptian plant would complement Linglong's existing production sites in China, Thailand and Europe, adding capacity to a global network that already includes five factories in China and one each in Thailand and Serbia. The company said the project supported a wider strategy involving automation, research and development, and more sustainable production methods.

The investment still requires approval from the relevant authorities in China and Egypt. Linglong said the project could be modified, delayed or discontinued if the necessary permits were not obtained.

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