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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Continental played a decisive role in the world record achieved by Volkswagen's Mission Efficiency concept vehicle, supplying a specially developed concept tyre. During the drive, the near-production electric vehicle consumed just 7.51 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres including charging losses, or 6.89 kWh excluding them. The RID – Rekord-Institut für Deutschland certified the result on 24 August 2026, after a 1,278.36-km journey from Wolfsburg to Vienna under real-world conditions. The trip required only one charging stop and ended with 164 kilometres of remaining range.

The concept tyre achieves a rolling resistance of 4.9 kg per metric tonne, roughly 25 percent below the threshold for the EU tyre label's highest Class A rating. Because about one-fifth of an electric vehicle's propulsion energy is consumed by overcoming tyre rolling resistance, this reduction is a major factor in extending range. Tyres therefore directly influence energy consumption and the distance possible on a single battery charge.

(Photo: Volkswagen AG)

Rolling resistance arises because a tyre deforms each time it contacts the road during every revolution. That deformation draws energy otherwise used for propulsion, and around 20 percent of an electric vehicle's battery energy is spent merely to overcome this effect. Continental's concept tyre builds on the EcoContact 7, a production tyre already known for exceptionally low rolling resistance.

For the record drive, the tyre was modified to Volkswagen's specifications, producing a design that deforms even less as it rolls, cutting energy consumption further and increasing range per charge. Two elements proved especially important. The sidewall follows the same design principle used in the EcoContact 7, delivering stability without raising rolling resistance. Meanwhile, the tread compound was specially tailored to the tyre's other components, working alongside the carcass and tread pattern to minimise energy losses.

(Photo: Volkswagen AG)

An additional advantage came from a new manufacturing process. During production, the initially soft green tyre is hardened in a mould under heat and pressure through vulcanisation, but Continental did not heat it uniformly as in conventional production. Instead, different areas were exposed to different temperatures, with the tread cured differently from the sidewall. This allowed each zone's properties to be optimised more precisely, resulting in even lower rolling resistance for the tread.

Rolling noise also shaped the tyre's development, and its tread pattern was specifically designed to achieve particularly low noise levels. Engineers varied the spacing and angles of the tread blocks so that the noises they generate partially overlap and cancel each other out, following a principle similar to noise-cancelling headphones. For the Mission Efficiency vehicle, this means the tyre improves efficiency while also ensuring a notably quiet driving experience, an aspect of growing importance because tyre noise becomes far more noticeable without an internal combustion engine.

The ID. Polo production car on which the Mission Efficiency is based already comes fitted with Continental's EcoContact 7 as standard, but the record project took the two companies further. Continental developed the tyre in close collaboration with Volkswagen's vehicle and aerodynamics engineers from a very early stage. The collaboration extended into the vehicle's design, with the tyre's colour-accented sidewall incorporating styling elements from the concept.

During the record drive, the vehicle set three benchmarks: the world's most aerodynamic near-production vehicle with a drag coefficient of 0.158, the most efficient four-seat electric vehicle in its class in a single controlled drive and the most economical near-production four-seat electric vehicle on an officially documented long-distance real-world drive. Largely based on production components from the ID. Polo, including its battery and drivetrain, the Mission Efficiency demonstrates the efficiency gains possible through targeted improvements to existing electric-vehicle technologies.

Dr Christian Strübel, Continental’s expert in rolling resistance for passenger-car tyres, said, “The record shows that increasing the range of electric cars does not necessarily require larger batteries. Significant opportunities lie in the successful interaction of all vehicle components. Tyres make a crucial contribution. Together with Volkswagen, we’ve demonstrated what’s possible when vehicle, aerodynamics and tyre development are aligned from the very beginning.”

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Liberty Tire Recycling has announced that its employees, business partners and supporters raised USD 195,000 in 2026 for Blessings in a Backpack, a national nonprofit providing weekend food to school-aged children facing hunger. The announcement coincided with National Childhood Hunger Awareness Day and World Food Day, marking the third consecutive year of the company's partnership with the organisation.

Funds were generated through the Liberty Cares Charity Golf Tournament and contributions from partners. The collaboration originated from employee feedback, as workers expressed a desire to support a cause addressing both children's needs and hunger – two areas Blessings in a Backpack serves.

Thomas Womble, CEO, Liberty, and Charlie Alutto, Chair of the Board, at the 2026 Liberty Cares Charity Golf Tournament.

In late October, employees at five locations – Santa Fe Springs, California; Midlothian, Texas; Minerva, Ohio; Jackson, Georgia; and Portland, Oregon – will pack 6,500 weekend meal bags for local programmes. Additionally, staff companywide will create handwritten notes of encouragement for the bags. Liberty previously raised USD 87,805 in 2024 and USD 132,785 in 2025, bringing its three-year total to over USD 415,000.

Liberty employees in Oregon write notecards for Blessings In A Backpack.

Thomas Womble, CEO, Liberty Tire Recycling, said, “In three years, we have raised over USD 400,000 and packed more than 16,000 food packs for kids in need. This is only possible with the employees at Liberty giving their time and effort to this project, and customers and partners committing their time and resources. Thank you to everyone who made this possible – I am proud to be part of this team.”

Alexis Hartman, Manager of Corporate Partnerships, Midwest, Blessings in a Backpack, said, "Thanks to the generosity of Liberty, their leadership, customers and employees as well as the outings’ donors and sponsors, over USD 195,000 was raised this year to benefit the mission and work of Blessings in a Backpack. We couldn’t be more grateful to the entire Liberty community for the care, compassion and kindness provided year after year to support children in need of our services. Thank you from the bottom of our backpacks!”

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Hankook Tire marked a significant design milestone on 15 October at the Capitol Theatre in Singapore, where the company was honoured during the Red Dot Award 2026 ceremony for Design Concept. The tyre manufacturer celebrated two Best of the Best accolades, with design team members present to represent the winning projects.

The recognition stemmed from the competition’s Design Concept category, where Hankook secured two top honours and four Winner awards. The winning entries, announced in August, included the i-Flex Gen 2, an airless concept tyre, and Medi Buddy, a futuristic medical mobility design. The i-Flex Gen 2 represents an evolution of the company’s airless tire research since 2015, introducing an industry-first circumferential spoke structure that improves low-noise performance and driving stability while enhancing visual appeal for future electric and autonomous vehicles.

Medi Buddy emerged from an industry-academic partnership with Korea Design Membership Plus, a student talent programme managed by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion. Operating under the Mobile AI 2030 theme, the concept combines autonomous driving and artificial intelligence into an interactive smart IV system aimed at engaging hospitalised children, reducing their fear of hospitals and offering emotional comfort.

The award-winning concepts will be displayed in a special exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore. The Red Dot Design Award ranks among the world’s three major design honours, alongside Germany’s iF Design Award and the US-based International Design Excellence Awards. Hankook previously became the first Korean company to earn the Red Dot Luminary honour in 2015, followed by the tyre industry’s first iF Gold Award in 2016 and an IDEA Bronze Award in 2017, completing a sweep of the top three global design awards.

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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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