By Sharad Matade

As part of its sustainability efforts, Continental aims at using at least ten percent of natural rubber derived from Russian dandelion roots in its tyre and industrial rubber goods production in future.

“We have undertaken a huge research task to meet ten percent of our requirement of natural rubber from dandelion roots. It is a long-term process,” Dr Carla Recker, Head of Expertfield Materials Chemistry & Taraxagum, told Tyre Trends in an interview. “It will take decades to complement natural rubber from Hevea brasiliensis with natural rubber from dandelion plants at an industrialised level. However, the company does not intend to replace NR from Hevea brasiliensis trees.”

According to Dr Carsten Venz, Site Manager at Taraxagum Lab Anklam, “Dandelion will be an additional source of natural rubber, not a replacement to rubber trees, in the coming years.”

Continental has been consequent on the cultivation and processing of Russian dandelion as an alternative source of raw material to the rubber tree in the tropics. Last year, the company officially opened its research and test laboratory named Taraxagum Lab Anklam in Anklam, Germany, a base for its future research into the cultivation and processing of Russian dandelion, within a year after the ground-breaking ceremony held in November 2017.

“The Taraxagum Lab Anklam is the latest key milestone of our project,” said Dr Recker.

The Taraxagum project is crucial for the company. “The natural rubber from dandelion is important to develop a new alternative and sustainable supply of the raw material” Dr Venz said.

On bicycle tyres

Though the lab was opened last year, Continental started working on the dandelion rubber project in 2011, and the company has already used rubber from dandelion roots in its passenger car tyres, truck tyres and industrial rubber goods. “The latest development on production-side is that we have industrialised bicycle tyres with rubber derived from dandelions. So, you can now buy bicycle tyres of Continental made of dandelion rubber in the market,” Dr Recker said. Continental showcased its first bicycle tyre with dandelion rubber at the Tour de France this year.

Currently, the Taraxagum lab is working on dandelion research, and over the next five to ten years, it will focus on the industrialisation of dandelion rubber and increase the share for the dandelion rubber in its products.

“Continental sees the Russian dandelion as one element of our commitment for sustainable natural rubber as detailed in our Sustainable Natural Rubber Sourcing Policy published in October 2018. At least for us, the Russian dandelion is the most promising alternative source for natural rubber. There might be different sources (to get natural rubber), but that does not fit for us. The Russian dandelion can be grown in different climate zones unlike natural rubber from heave brasiliensis trees which need tropical climates to grow. Rubber trees and the Russian dandelion have the same characteristics, the same chemical structure and the same properties. It is just two plants producing the same material,” says Dr Recker. The advantage of dandelion rubber over rubber from trees is that the former has a generation succession of just three months as compared to seven years for the latter.

Since the dandelion plants can be cultivated in Northern and Western Europe, which makes transportation routes to the European production sites much shorter and contributes to the sustainable use of existing resources, thinks Continental.

However, the major challenge will be the 100 percent replacement of rubber made from trees with dandelion rubber. Dr Recker thinks, yes, technically, dandelion can replace tree rubber by 100 percent, but the more significant challenge will be the industrialisation of dandelion rubber to the level of rubber trees. “We are at a research stage. The amount of dandelion available globally is not enough to replace natural rubber commercially. To create that biological system to industrialise the natural rubber from the dandelion will take some time and we will have to be more patient,” says Dr Recker.

Research is a time and capital consuming task. Synthetic rubber is also coming into tyre production in a more significant way, but the crude oil derived commodity has historically been volatile, and even oil-producing nations are diversifying their businesses citing falling productions and growing focus on cleaner options.

Dandelion rubber is not new to the tyre industry; however, the industry does not seem much keen on dandelion plants as an alternative source for natural rubber. “Not everybody (tyre company) is willing to invest in the early research of dandelion rubber and setting up the entire bio-economy. You have to establish a full value chain from breeding to the production of natural rubber from dandelion plants, which is does not exist yet and not every market player is willing to invest in such a long-term process,” explains Dr Recker.

Since Continental sees dandelion a sustaining resource for natural rubber in the future, it has made a substantial investment for the project. It has already poured in 35 million euros for the project. “Though many of our peers are investing in other resources to get natural rubber, I think we are quite unique investing like the way we are to explore alternative resources for natural rubber,” says Dr Venz.

Over 90 percent of natural rubber derives from South East Asia, a tropical region suitable for natural rubber trees. However, erratic climate behaviour is hitting production of natural rubber in this region. Natural rubber producers are also exploring other areas to grow natural rubber trees. According to Dr Recker, the research project has yet to ascertain the survival scope of the Russian dandelion in changing climates. “I believe that Dandelion will grow in all climate zones,” says Dr Recker.

Yield ratio

As of now, Continental also does not have comparable yield ratios between natural rubber from dandelion and hevea brasiliensis. “We are working on determining the output of natural rubber per acre from both resources,” says Dr Venz. “Usually, between 1 and 1.8 ton per hectare per year is produced from rubber trees, and around the same amount of production per hectare we are expecting from dandelion plants,” estimates Dr Recker.

As part of the value chain creation, the company is focusing on breeding for seed production and harvesting, root production and harvesting, and the extraction process. According to the company, growers also need some time to understand and get hands-on to harvest dandelion plants. Every year climate conditions will determine a different impact on the plants. “We will need to see how the crops will react in different climate and harvesting seasons. We are building a network of farmers in North East Germany from whom we learn and whom we can teach what we have learned,” added Dr Recker.

Fundamental design and development of tires for the mobility of the future will be unchanged; however, tires will be expected to be high performance and eco-friendly. According to Continental executives, for the mobility of the future, natural rubber will remain the core ingredient and dandelion will be one of the sustainable options to provide natural rubber. “Rubber be will be used in future to make high-performance tires, and we are exploring the option to have a sustainable source for natural rubber,” adds Dr Recker.

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Tegeta Green Planet opened the Light Vehicle Diagnostics course at Tegeta Academy with a presentation for attendees aged 17 to 33. Beyond their chosen vocational field, participants learned about automotive waste management and environmental responsibility.

Shalva Akhvlediani, the organisation’s director, outlined its activities and goals while emphasising Extended Producer Responsibility. The session examined how the automotive sector connects to environmental duty and why used tyres, waste oils and automotive batteries must be collected and managed properly.

Tyre management and RECSOL featured prominently. Attendees traced a used tyre’s path from collection to recycling and learned how waste becomes a source of new resources. RECSOL, Tegeta’s tyre recycling plant, is a significant infrastructure project in used tyre recycling, processing tyres into materials for various uses and supporting circular economy principles.

A core aim is a system where waste is not an endpoint but the starting point for new resources, which requires infrastructure alongside greater public awareness and information on proper disposal. For participants, the meeting linked professional education with environmental awareness, stressing that future automotive professionals should understand this responsibility early.

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Tyres Europe, alongside ACEA (the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association) and CLEPA (the European Association of Automotive Suppliers), has dispatched a joint communication to EU decision-makers concerning the possible broadening of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to cover downstream goods. The move comes as trilogue discussions approach.

Tyre producers form part of an automotive value chain already bearing carbon-related expenses for steel and aluminium manufactured within Europe. The proposed expansion would draw additional products into the mechanism’s remit before the existing framework has demonstrated its effectiveness. Resulting costs and administrative requirements would land on downstream manufacturers, tyre makers included, with signatories cautioning that a conceptually sound regulatory effort could become an operational and financial strain.

Endorsing the mechanism’s aims, the signatories nonetheless urge a proportionate scope that shields the entire value chain from carbon leakage while preventing that risk from being pushed further downstream. They advocate extending the mechanism only where a material carbon-leakage danger is evidenced, and request that policymakers ease compliance demands, including via more fitting default values mirroring real production routes.

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NEXEN TIRE has extended its partnership with Zalgiris, reinforcing its commitment to basketball in Europe, particularly across the Baltic region. The renewal builds on a relationship that began in 2024 and reflects the company’s broader strategy of linking its brand to performance, innovation and mobility.

The tyre maker has pursued sports partnerships as a way to connect with fans, sharing in the passion and excitement of supporting favourite teams during major matches and memorable moments. It also values the teamwork, dedication and collective achievement that define team sports, using such ties to build authentic connections and deepen engagement in key European markets. Its collaboration with clubs including Zalgiris and FC Bayern München forms part of this approach.

Under the extended agreement, NEXEN TIRE will gain greater visibility among sports fans in the region. The partnership offers branding opportunities at Zalgirio Arena, such as synchronised on-screen advertising and promotion on LED stands near the court, in a position visible on television during EuroLeague and LKL home games.

The arrangement also includes a hospitality programme allowing NEXEN TIRE to welcome guests and business partners at Zalgiris home fixtures. Through the strengthened alliance, the company aims to share its passion with more fans while raising brand awareness across the region.

Ricky Lee, Managing Director, NEXEN TIRE Poland, said, “Our cooperation with Zalgiris has developed positively since 2024, and we are pleased to extend and strengthen this partnership. Basketball has a particularly strong following in the Baltic region, making Zalgiris an important partner as we continue to grow our presence and engage with fans. We look forward to supporting the team throughout the season and doing our best to create positive experiences for both the players and their passionate fans.”

Paulius Jankunas, President, Zalgiris, said, “We are delighted to continue our cooperation with NEXEN TIRE and build on the partnership we started two years ago. NEXEN TIRE brings extensive experience in sports marketing, and we are proud to work together on creating meaningful projects and experiences for our fans. We look forward to another successful period of cooperation and to welcoming NEXEN TIRE’s guests and partners to our games and events.”

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TBC Corporation, one of North America’s largest marketers of automotive replacement tyres through wholesale and franchise operations, has widened its tyre portfolio through the addition of four new lines under the Multi-Mile Tyres banner. Serving as a value step-up brand, Multi-Mile gives dealers a strong mix of broader product coverage and improved consumer advantages crafted to drive better retail margins, helping retailers offer greater value while lifting profitability. With this expansion, the portfolio now reaches over 85 percent of the vehicle market, offering dealers more ways to satisfy customer demand.

Among the additions are tyres built for rugged and mud terrain use, boasting self-cleaning treads that push out mud and stones alongside dependable traction both on and off the road. Also joining the range are commercial and C-metric speciality tyres tailored to heavy-duty regional and long-haul trucks, together with all-weather tyres that hold the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake severe snow rating and are made for high mileage and consistent year-round use.

A prominent name in the replacement tyre segment, Multi-Mile carries cutting-edge touring, high-performance and broad-line tyres suited to passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs. Meanwhile, the upgraded Mile After Mile Protection Plan warranty now delivers broader coverage, adding three-year roadside assistance, a three-year road hazard protection plan and a 60-day ride guarantee on top of its extensive treadwear warranties.

Rachel Tibor, Chief Marketing Officer, TBC Wholesale, said, “For more than 70 years, Multi-Mile products have offered cost-efficient, reliable and durable tyre options that enhance safety and performance. With this expanded portfolio, Multi-Mile strengthens its position as a value step-up brand, giving dealers more opportunities to meet evolving consumer needs while offering a product mix designed to support stronger retail margins. We’re continuing our longstanding tradition of supplying the right products at the right time for every type of vehicle and application.”

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