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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Tegeta Green Planet and Shine Energy brought an environmental education session to seventh-graders at Tbilisi Public School No. 142, aiming to deepen young people's understanding of sustainable development and environmental protection. The meeting was designed to make abstract ecological concepts tangible for early adolescents.

Led by representatives of the two organisations, the session unfolded under the theme ‘A Sustainable Future: Environment, Transport and Energy’. Presentations and discussions covered waste management, responsible resource use, environmental protection and the value of renewable energy, giving students a broad picture of how these issues interconnect.

The interactive format included team activities through which students explored the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, learning what it is for and how it contributes to environmental protection. Participants also considered how ordinary daily choices can curb pollution and conserve resources. An environmental game and a hands-on activity reinforced the lessons, helping students link environmental concerns to their own lives, and each participant received a certificate and a small gift at the close.

Operating since 2022, Tegeta Green Planet ranks among Georgia's first authorised EPR organisations, advancing a circular economy by collecting and recycling waste tyres, waste oils and used batteries while helping reduce environmental harm and meet legal obligations. Environmental education for young people remains a priority for both organisations, which run school sessions on environmental protection, resource conservation and sustainable development.

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Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH will hold Premium Partner status at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, running 24 October to 1 November at the Wiener Stadthalle, under a three-year term from 2026 to 2028 with an extension option, and holds exclusive tyre-category rights. DUNLOP Sports separately serves as Official Ball Partner. The event lets Dunlop Tyre Europe spread the ONE DUNLOP message, as trademark rights for DUNLOP tyres across Europe, North America and Oceania now sit once more under Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI). A 25-square-metre stand will occupy the fan zone in the Wiener Stadthalle foyer.

The divisions have already collaborated at B2B events this year, including THE TIRE COLOGNE. At the Mondial de l'Auto in Paris, held 12 to 18 October, the DUNLOP brand joined DUNLOP Sports colleagues to display tyres, motorsport heritage and tennis, padel and squash racquets across 105 square metres. Vienna marks the first time both appear together at a sporting tournament.

Premium Partner status brings strong visibility. Television coverage includes Micro Wings, LED side banners, Close Calls and the ‘New Balls Please’ activation. Dunlop Tyre Europe also features at the ceremonial coin toss, in the tournament magazine, in the fan zone and via ‘Daily Highlights presented by Dunlop’. Hospitality packages at the Wiener Stadthalle and Marx Halle await customers and partners, with invitations to the Pro-Am tournament and official press conference.

At the DUNLOP stand, visitors can guess how many tennis balls sit inside a racing tyre, entering via iPad and a digital landing page, with newsletter sign-up optional. A set of tyres is the prize, and souvenir photos in a DUNLOP-branded frame can be downloaded via QR code. The brand and SRI trace their heritage to 1909, when Dunlop Far East was founded in Kobe. After a partner organisation held passenger car tyre rights in several markets, those rights were reacquired in 2025 and Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH launched in early 2026, reuniting the brand under SRI. The goal is restoring DUNLOP among the world's leading, most innovative tyre makers.

Dennis Wilstermann, Marketing Manager, Dunlop Tyre Europe, said, “Through our Premium Partnership with the Erste Bank Open and with our colleagues from DUNLOP Sports serving as the tournament’s Official Ball Partner, we are appearing together at a sporting event for the first time, following successful collaborations in the B2B sector and at the Paris motor show. The dynamic environment of professional tennis and the world-class performances regularly seen on court provide the ideal stage for combining activation activities for DUNLOP Tyres and DUNLOP Sports. We work closely with DUNLOP Sports and our parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan, to unlock the full potential of the global ONE DUNLOP strategy.”

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Indian manufacturer invests in radial tyre capacity and electric vehicle products as it seeks growth in domestic and export markets

JK Tyre and Industries is expanding production capacity and pushing into higher-value tyres as the Indian manufacturer seeks to capitalise on strong vehicle demand, the shift towards premium cars and the growth of electric mobility.

The company plans to invest in additional truck and bus radial and passenger car radial capacity, while broadening its distribution network and developing products for overseas markets. The strategy comes as a sharp increase in raw-material prices threatens to erode the benefits of rising sales.

Nearly 30 percent of JK Tyre’s passenger car tyre volumes in the first half of the financial year came from premium products with wheel sizes of 16 inches and above, Managing Director Anshuman Singhania told analysts on the company’s second-quarter earnings call. The segment has grown at an annual rate of about 20 percent over the past two to three years.

The shift towards larger tyres reflects changing consumer preferences in India’s car market, where manufacturers are increasingly catering to buyers seeking more premium vehicles. JK Tyre is seeking to capture that demand while maintaining its position in commercial vehicle and agricultural tyres.

Electric mobility and premium products

Electric mobility is another area of growth. The company said its electric vehicle tyre volumes rose by more than 24 pe cent quarter on quarter. It also highlighted its position in electric trucks and buses, and said the MG Hector Tomahawk had been launched with its Ranger HPE electric vehicle-specific tyres.

JK Tyre is investing in research and development and using artificial intelligence and machine learning in product design, manufacturing and supply-chain management. The company is also expanding its range of specialist off-the-road tyres, targeting applications where product performance and specifications are important purchasing considerations.

Expanding distribution

The push into premium products is accompanied by an effort to widen the company’s reach among customers. During the second quarter, JK Tyre added more than 250 pit shops and more than 80 dealers and distributors, almost half of the latter in rural markets. It also expanded its fleet accounts.

The replacement market, in which vehicle owners buy tyres independently of new vehicle purchases, accounted for about 60 percent of standalone revenue.

Demand remained strong across several categories. Truck and bus radial tyre volumes supplied to original equipment manufacturers increased 76 percent year on year, while passenger car radial volumes rose 14 percent. Farm tyre demand also grew, although management warned that uneven rainfall in some agricultural regions could weigh on the farming season.

JK Tyre expects demand to remain healthy in the second half of the financial year, supported by infrastructure spending, freight movement and vehicle manufacturers’ year-end purchasing. It expects high-single-digit growth in the truck and bus replacement market and mid-single-digit growth in passenger car tyres over the medium term.

Raw-material inflation

The outlook is less straightforward on costs. Raw-material prices have risen by about 30 percent over the past six months, according to management, amid supply-chain disruption and geopolitical tensions linked to the conflict in West Asia. The company expects a further increase of 4–5 per cent in its raw-material cost basket in the third quarter.

JK Tyre plans to raise selling prices by a similar amount, but acknowledged that passing on higher costs is difficult in the replacement market, where customers are sensitive to price. Price increases under contracts with vehicle manufacturers are partly linked to input-cost indices, but take time to feed through.

The company is relying on higher selling prices, a more favourable product mix and cost efficiencies to protect profitability. Its ability to do so will be tested if commodity inflation persists.

Capacity and export plans

Capacity expansion is central to the growth strategy. JK Tyre said projects worth about INR 13 billion covering truck and bus radial and passenger car radial tyres were under implementation, following the completion of projects worth INR 14 billion. Utilisation at its Indian plants was above 90 percent across key segments, leaving the company looking to add capacity to meet demand.

JK Tyre is also looking overseas for growth. The company is assessing opportunities arising from the India-UK free trade agreement and has developed products specifically for European markets. Management said it was already supplying some European markets, but did not confirm any material increase in UK orders or shipments following the trade agreement.

Exports from India rose 14 percent sequentially in the second quarter.

Mexican subsidiary recovers

Its Mexican subsidiary, JK Tornel, is meanwhile continuing a recovery programme focused on operational efficiency, quality and modernisation. Management expects sales to move towards levels comparable with the previous year in the third and fourth quarters. It also reported triple-digit growth in shipments from Mexico to the US on a quarter-on-quarter basis, against a backdrop of uncertainty over US trade policy and the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

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Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) returned as a sponsor of the Galveston Bay Foundation’s Bike Around the Island, with 21 cyclists completing a 43-mile ride on 17 October 2026. The event coincided with the 20th anniversary celebration of Bike Around the Bay, reinforcing KAI’s support for the Foundation’s conservation mission.

Although the ride spanned a single day, the cause continues year-round through initiatives such as the River, Lakes, Bays ’N Bayous Trash Bash and oyster reef monitoring at Sweetwater Nature Preserve. These programmes protect the Bay’s waters, restore coastal habitats and preserve regional biodiversity. KAI contributed to that mission by mobilising nine volunteers alongside participating employees, family members and friends, collectively raising more than USD 8,300 for GBF’s conservation efforts.

At the second rest stop, KAI volunteers welcomed cyclists with encouragement and a chance to reconnect before the next stretch. For cycling team captain Diana Maya, the stop became a meaningful moment of teamwork and connection, illustrating how employees and volunteers supported both the event and one another. Special recognition went to Maya and Johnny Alvarado, KAI’s volunteer lead, for coordinating this year’s participation, and the company expressed appreciation to every cyclist, volunteer, employee, family member and friend who contributed time, energy and encouragement.

The 20th anniversary marked two decades of bringing cyclists, volunteers, corporate partners and community members together for Galveston Bay. KAI congratulated the Foundation on the milestone and affirmed its commitment to community engagement and environmental stewardship, supporting efforts that protect natural ecosystems surrounding the communities where employees live and work. From cycling 43 miles to volunteering at rest stops and supporting year-round conservation, KAI’s participation reflected a shared commitment to protecting Galveston Bay for future generations.

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