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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The German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) reported in Frankfurt am Main that used tyre disposal and recycling firms continue to face substantial shortages of used tyres, undermining a secure supply of secondary raw materials essential to a resilient and sustainable circular economy.

According to wdk Technical Director Stephan Rau, roughly 84,000 tonnes of used tyres were unaccounted for last year. These, and potentially far larger volumes, are suspected to have been exported outside the EU for incineration or pyrolysis under dire health and environmental conditions, removing them from German recyclers and the circular economy.

Although the loss rate has edged downward, the association argues that systematically recording waste tyres and their recycling pathways remains the most effective countermeasure. The wdk and allied organisations have urged this approach for years, describing it as easy to implement and capable of significantly strengthening the circular economy, provided political will emerges to support a functioning recycling system.

Rau also cited newly published statistics showing Germany generated 522,000 tonnes of waste tyres in 2025. Of that total, 210,000 tonnes became granules and rubber powder, now nearly triple the amount thermally recycled in the cement industry – a development the wdk called strongly positive, while noting that comprehensive quantity recording could enable substantially more tyres to be recycled.

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Goodyear is presenting a collection of forward-looking concept and production vehicles at the Mondial de l’Auto Paris 2026 (Paris Motor Show 2026), taking place from 12 to 18 October at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, highlighting how tyres shape automotive design. For over a century, the company has influenced vehicle appearance, performance and driver connection, with its Advanced Design Studio partnering with manufacturers to create tyres that complement design, reinforce brand identity and support future mobility.

Sebastien Fontaine, Lead Designer at Goodyear’s Advanced Design Studio in Luxembourg, has explained that concept vehicles require customised tyres forming part of a vehicle’s visual identity and supporting the car designer’s vision. Close collaboration with OEM design teams lets Goodyear create unique solutions from early development through public reveal, using laser-carving technologies, customised sidewall treatments and premium production platforms.

Opel’s Sports Tourer eXperimental Concept, displayed on the Opel stand, represents the next stage of the brand’s design philosophy and a bold vision for the electric estate of tomorrow. Its prominent ‘Opel Vizor’ face is accented by strong lighting signatures front and rear, while the side features fluid, technical surfacing, extendable diffuser elements and three-zone alloy wheels. The customised tyres, based on the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric and sized 285/35R22, were tailored to complement the concept’s athletic stance, with visual cues extending from rim to sidewall.

Peugeot’s RCZ Vision concept debuts as the latest expression of the ‘Feline Future’ design language, inspired by the RCZ Coupé produced between 2009 and 2015. It embodies a feline stance leaning forward, with defined shoulders and a light signature of three horizontal claws front and rear. Its electric architecture includes a solid-state battery and ‘X-by-Wire’ technologies, with 500 horsepower delivered through 21-inch front and 22-inch rear forged-aluminium wheels. Tyres based on the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport, sized 255/35R21 and 295/30R22, feature a bespoke sidewall treatment connecting tyre to wheel and displaying the Goodyear and Eagle names.

Across the show, a wide range of production vehicles carry Goodyear tyres, spanning utility, sports, off-road, electric and petrol-powered models. These tyres are developed for efficiency, grip and durability, enhancing each vehicle’s capabilities. Highlights from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, DS, Volkswagen, Lancia, Fiat, Renault and others can be followed on Goodyear’s social channels.

Goodyear’s concept vehicle presence extends beyond the current show. For decades, it has collaborated with manufacturers on visionary concepts through innovative tire designs and custom OE partnerships. Milestones include the 2013 Wingfoot Concept and the 2015 BH-03 Concept, which introduced ideas around energy generation and intelligent mobility. The 2016 Eagle-360 Concept, featuring a spherical tire design, challenged conventional thinking about autonomous mobility, was named one of TIME Magazine’s ‘Best Inventions of 2016’ and earned several design awards.

Later concepts including IntelliGrip, Eagle-360 Urban, Oxygene, Aero and reCharge explored artificial intelligence, autonomous transportation, sustainable materials, flying mobility and renewable tyre technologies, with several earning international design and innovation awards. More recent collaborations include the Citroën Skate Concept, Citroën Oli, Toyota Aygo X Prologue, Lancia PU+RA HPE, Opel Experimental and Peugeot Polygon.

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) is organising the NRW Tire Recycling Forum on 10 November 2026 at the Lohrheide Sports Park in Bochum, running from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Held under the umbrella of the North Rhine-Westphalia Roundtable on Circular Value Creation, the free event targets municipal officials responsible for building, sports, green spaces, road and civil engineering, along with sustainability and climate protection managers.

Discarded tyres can be transformed into an array of construction materials, including impact-absorbing sports surfaces, sound and vibration insulation and protective layers for green roofs and photovoltaic installations. The gathering will examine how municipalities can integrate such recycled goods into their infrastructure and building projects.

Expert presentations, real-world case studies and details on funding programmes for urban development and sports initiatives across North Rhine-Westphalia form the core of the agenda. Public procurement will receive particular attention, with discussion centring on how technology-neutral, quality-focused tendering can encourage greater adoption of suitable recycled products in municipal work.

A guided tour of the Lohrheide sports park's newly installed running track, which contains tyre rubber granulate, serves as a principal attraction. Attendees will learn about the material's characteristics, the construction process and lessons drawn from planning, tendering and execution, offering concrete evidence of mechanical tyre recycling within a functioning circular economy. The event also connects to North Rhine-Westphalia's new circular economy strategy, which treats used tyres as a distinct field of action.

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BendPak’s Ranger Division has introduced the DST30PX, a next-generation wheel balancer in its DST Series, built to help shops handle larger OEM wheel assemblies and heavy aftermarket truck tyres. Older balancing platforms can struggle with these oversized wheels, slowing service and creating bottlenecks. The DST30PX addresses those issues through a new hood design, a larger shaft and an overhauled structural chassis.

The robust hood accommodates a wider range of tyre shapes and sizes, including oversized off-road and fleet tyres, without time-consuming repositioning. Its open-side design lets wider tyres, aggressive offsets and bulky sidewalls slide in more easily, cutting setup time and allowing operators to position wheel assemblies up to 43 inches in diameter. Ranger reinforced the chassis and hood assembly to handle added mass without flexing, compromising alignment or generating excess vibration, supporting consistent measurements and reliable accuracy. The rugged 40 mm shaft increases stiffness and accuracy for heavier wheels.

A large, 64-tooth magnetic transducer encoder with precision-cut square teeth converts rotary position into a digital electronic signal, helping achieve accurate profile readings and top-dead-centre positioning for minimal, precise wheel placement. This extra resolution benefits modern wheels requiring cleaner correction, smaller weight changes and better placement accuracy. The DST30PX also streamlines repetitive service through simple wheel data entry, precise rolling weight readings, automatic braking, manual or automatic hood-start operation and rapid cycle times. A quick-release hub nut, side-position brake, top-dead-centre weight indicator and tiered placement indicators accelerate setup and correction, while onboard storage includes a top tray, side cone pegs and a side shelf for Ranger Quick-Peel adhesive tape weight rolls.

Key features include a 145-lb (approximately 65 kg) capacity, a 30-inch wheel diameter range, a 43-inch maximum tyre diameter, low-RPM operation, a six-second cycle time, Dynamic, Static and Performance Alloy settings, a 16-bit processor, multi-directional quartz piezoelectric sensors, a multi-user save function with presets, ergonomic controls and a full-tilt LED display control panel. The DST30PX suits shops seeking higher precision, faster workflow, and advanced measuring for modern wheels without moving to a larger premium machine. It is ETL certified to applicable UL and CSA safety standards in the United States and Canada, ships with a starter kit of adhesive and clip-on steel wheel weights and offers Ranger Select setup and training.

Sean Price, Director of Product Development, BendPak, said, “The Ranger DST30PX represents a fundamental shift in how modern shops handle today’s radically heavier, oversized wheel configurations. It ensures technicians can mount, spin and perfectly balance oversized assemblies without a single second of wasted motion.”

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