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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Scandinavian Enviro Systems AB (publ) has taken decisive action to terminate its agreements with Infiniteria Europe Sàrl and Cuibhil Luxco concerning their joint venture, Infiniteria. This move is formally supported by Chapter 3, Section 9 of the Swedish Company Reorganization Act and forms a key component of the corporate restructuring that received approval from the Gothenburg District Court on 27 February 2026. A three-month notice period is now in effect.

The decision stems from a strategic need to free Enviro from what it describes as burdensome and loss-making contractual commitments that hindered its path to a sustainable business model. Prior to this termination, Enviro had spent considerable time attempting to renegotiate the terms with both the joint venture company and Cuibhil Luxco in order to establish a more viable long-term structure. Those discussions ultimately failed to yield an agreement, leaving Enviro with no alternative but to invoke the legal provisions available under its ongoing reorganisation.

Once the notice period expires, the joint venture will no longer hold exclusive European rights to Enviro’s patented pyrolysis technology, nor will it continue to receive the management and technical services previously provided. By reclaiming full control over these assets and capabilities, Enviro clears the path to market its technology on a global scale, unencumbered by the prior arrangement’s restrictions.

The agreements terminated by Enviro are: a license agreement between Enviro and Infiniteria Europe Sàrl under which Enviro licenses its patented pyrolysis technology to the JV company; a marketing and agency agreement between Enviro and Infiniteria Europe Sàrl under which Enviro acts as marketing and sales agent for the products produced through tyre recycling; a services agreement between Enviro and Infiniteria Europe Sàrl under which Enviro provides technical services and management support to the JV company and its group companies; an option agreement between Enviro and Cuibhil Luxco, a subsidiary of Antin Infrastructure Partners, granting Cuibhil Luxco the right, under certain conditions, to acquire shares in the JV company from Enviro; and a shareholders’ agreement relating to the JV company between Enviro, Cuibhil Luxco and Infiniteria Europe Sàrl (collectively, the “Agreements”).

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Michelin has added three new accolades from the JD Power 2026 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, securing the highest ratings from drivers across the Passenger Car, Performance Sport and Luxury segments. This achievement raises the brand’s total to 106 JD Power Awards since the research programme began.

The study gathered insights from over 38,244 vehicle owners, who evaluated satisfaction based on tyre wear, ride quality, appearance and traction with handling. These four key areas form the foundation of how original equipment tyres are assessed in the annual benchmark.

For more than five decades, JD Power has provided automotive manufacturers, retailers, lenders and insurers with essential data and advanced analytics to support confident decision-making. By applying proprietary intelligence and deep industry expertise, the firm continues to help partners strengthen performance and better understand customer interactions with brands and products.

Matthew Cabe, president and CEO of Michelin North America, Inc, said, “Michelin’s enduring leadership in tyre performance and customer satisfaction is driven by our unwavering commitment to excellence. Earning three new JD Power Awards reflects the passion and precision our teams bring to every product we design. Every mile and every moment, drivers can trust Michelin to deliver long‑lasting tyres and uncompromising quality.”

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Facing mounting pressure on the industrial sector, the German rubber industry is demanding that the federal government adopt a crisis-mode approach. Michael Klein, President of the German Rubber Industry Association (wdk), issued the warning in Frankfurt am Main, criticising policymakers in both Germany and Europe for inaction while manufacturing firms, especially mid-sized companies, are already operating at maximum alert and fighting for survival.

Klein expressed strong support for the ‘Enough with the snail's pace!’ initiative launched by the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), which calls for accelerated reforms. He also aligned with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s view that economic policy must move more swiftly. According to Klein, the wave of site closures and production relocations underscores the severe strain on Germany as an industrial hub. He stressed that all nationally controllable competitive disadvantages must now be eliminated without delay.

To achieve this, Klein proposed tangible steps such as lowering the national CO₂ price and temporarily suspending national emissions trading, alongside a significant and immediately noticeable reduction in bureaucratic burdens.

Addressing broader economic pressures, the wdk president warned of additional strains from the conflict involving Iran. He pointed to surging fuel prices driving up transport costs and disruptions to global container shipping routes, which are increasingly jeopardising supply chains across sectors, including the rubber industry. With multiple crises converging, Klein cautioned that without swift countermeasures, Germany’s status as a production location faces further irreversible damage.

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Cooper Tires, a subsidiary of Goodyear, has unveiled a completely reimagined global brand identity aimed at increasing visibility, sharpening consumer recognition and reinforcing its position within a fiercely competitive market. The refresh speaks directly to drivers who rely on durable, dependable tyres.

Drawing on more than a century of building trust with those who expect peak performance, the new look merges Cooper’s established legacy with a contemporary aesthetic. The result conveys strength, intentionality and assurance. Central to the update are refined brand marks, an updated colour palette and a modern design approach tailored to stand out in both physical retail spaces and digital environments.

The evolution pays homage to two symbolic figures. One returns to Cooper’s history: a knight’s helm, first adopted in the 1940s following the brand’s Armored Cord tyre innovation, now reimagined with sharper lines to lead Cooper forward. Joining it is the American grey wolf, native to Ohio where Cooper is rooted. Representing adaptability, resolve and readiness for any terrain, the wolf reflects the brand’s character and the mindset of its drivers. Both icons will appear prominently across major brand materials.

The updated colour system balances heritage with visibility. Valor Green nods to Cooper’s history of crafting products for rugged conditions and natural landscapes, symbolising endurance and expertise. A heritage orange accent recalls the brand’s early days, adding energy and distinction. The overall palette draws inspiration from nature, a core element of Cooper’s identity.

Additional updates span typography, photography and illustration. Developed with Publicis P1T Crew and creatively led by BBH USA, the rollout begins in March 2026 with global website and social media updates, along with select paid media campaigns. Retail point-of-sale materials will follow gradually to ensure a consistent worldwide experience.

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