Last year, Oxford Dictionaries declared that “Unprecedented” is the word of year that chosen by the famous English language experts to sum up the preceding 12 months. It’s been more than a year since the pandemic changed the way we live and work, and nothing feels more important than staying connected to our communities. Tyre industry is no exception.

As we all know, the automotive society is changing at rapid pace world-wide due to various factors such as new customer trends, growth of middle class and new mobility concepts. The performance requirements of tyres continue to rise ever higher, meaning that even further advancement in tyre technology as well as fighting with complex issues are now our new normal. The requirements of tyre performance parameters are much greater than past therefore now we work with “octagon,” instead of historically used “triangle.”

Today, we are talking about “Desired performance” instead of “Prioritised performance” which covers all required factors as well as sustainable green product concept. As we all know, many tyre manufacturers have announced their aggressive plans to have “carbon-neutral” products and aimed to adopt renewable materials and sustainable solutions.

As noted earlier, there are also additional challenges facing mobility and there are many new topics. In this article as TIC, we focused some of the hot topics to be involved by tyre companies. The below topics will force fundamental changes and our industry is going to be more complex. We need to understand those which would affect market dynamics, breakthrough developments and mobility revolutions.

We believe that a holistic approach is needed to see the future as well as new opportunities and treats. TIC-Tire Industry Consulting’s recommendations are given for some of the important areas, which should be involved by tyre manufacturers in order to continue their business.

Air-Free tyres

The airless concept tyre is one of the initiatives aimed towards many tyre manufacture’s long-term vision of the use of sustainable materials. Many of tyre manufacturers revealed their second or third generation air free technologies by featuring improved load-bearing capabilities, driving performance and environmental design. However, there are a lot of works to be made before air free tyres available for customers. Anyone looking for the future of tyre industry needs to involve Air Free tyre technology. Although it is very hard to estimate, we believe CAGR would be reached 3-4% within ten years globally.

Sustainable solutions

This is one of the most popular topics for automotive industry since many years by aiming CO₂ emission reduction. The motivations are: increasing pressure from legislation to move to zero CO_2, EV sales booming in many countries and consumers are increasingly seeking to buy from environmentally responsible companies. Main players have announced very challenging targets to use all-sustainable materials by 2030 and 2050. Tyre industry has to follow this path and needs to do fundamental changes regarding all processes such as R&D, supply chain and others. We believe that tyre industry should implement multiple technological innovations for sustainable solutions by working with their suppliers. In order to keep the competition, tyre manufacturers should: have a Science Based Target (SBT) for sustainability, engage with suppliers for joint activities and improve R&D activities regarding new materials, new designs and higher the usage of recycled materials.

EV tyres

Global automotive sector is responsible for 15% of global GHG emission and Paris agreement targeted to have “zero” GHG emission by 2050 to limit global warming. This is a very challenging target ever seen that committed by all countries. Private sector is co-responsible for implementation and rapid fleet electrification is one of the on-going solution items. OEMs have set the pace for CO₂ reduction and tyre manufacturers should have the EV tyre that meets “desired performance” as a sustainable green product.

The best example would be Germany , that aims to have 14M electric cars in 2030 by having almost 30% share of total car and electric passenger car new sales would reach to 75-80%  of total cars sale in 2030. Those figures show how big opportunity is exist for EV tyre manufacturers for OE and replacement markets. In that respect, we should continue to improve New Product Development (NPD) process even harder by expanding R&D efforts.

Artificial Intelligence

One of the important breakthrough innovations is AI and now widely use in all industries. We have seen many new applications by using AI in tyre industry too. Some of the areas would be sensor adoptions, prediction of compound physical properties, data mining in production processes and performance predictions during service time such a wear life and others. As TIC, we see AI as a “white space” for tyre manufactures that needs special skills as well as knowledge to adapt AI to existing systems.

Dynamic Testing

This has been performed by many tyre manufacturers using different test methodologies  such as component level, Hil (Hardware-in-the-Loop), ViL (Vehicle-in-the-Loop) test during the development and test & verification states of the product. In addition to those currently available test technologies, there are new developments in testing, such as dynamic driving simulators, in other words DiL (Driver-in-the-Loop). This technology enables tyre manufacturer to test and verify their next-generation tyre designs in virtual environment using the vehicle digital twin, which replicates the actual vehicle including vehicle driving dynamics, with real driver interaction. The DiL will improve the development process and create new opportunities for tyre manufacturers as preferred one. TIC believes in “Speed to market with right solutions and innovation,” and ready to support you. Design & development process duration is getting more and more crucial and all manufacturers are trying to reduce it by using modern simulation and testing technics. We recommend adopting Virtual technology in order to provide the best service to your customers.

As a conclusion, tyre industry is facing a lot of challenges and having very dynamic competition, in that respect the tyre technology and tyre knowledge will be extremely important to compete in the future, more than at any time in the past.

TIC Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) have vast hands-on experiences for above topics and ready to support your activities. We provide specialised technical solutions for challenges and TIC guarantees a high standard of professional-ethical principles that we have kept and developed for years. (TT)

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) is among three finalists for the Innovation Award of the German Mobility Industry 2026 in the Product/Project category. An expert jury spanning academia, specialist media and all sectors of the mobility industry nominated the cross-industry network for its holistic approach to the tire circular economy. Organised by the German Society for Traffic Sciences (DVWG), the award honours innovative, practical and transferable solutions for tomorrow's mobility. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 17 November 2026 in Frankfurt's Paulskirche.

The network's goal is to keep tyres and their valuable raw materials in the economic cycle for as long as possible. AZuR connects companies from the tyre industry, tyre retail, remanufacturing and recycling with science and research and partners jointly develop and promote sustainable solutions along the entire tyre value chain. Priority goes to extending service life through proper maintenance, repair, retreading and refurbishing, with material recovery and reuse through recycling reserved for tyres that can no longer be used. Roughly 535,000 tonnes of used tyres arise in Germany alone each year, underscoring the importance of longer tyre life and intelligent use of existing resources.

The jury highlighted the finalists' systemic approach, recognising that innovation stems not only from new technologies but also from intelligently interconnecting existing solutions and actors. Joining AZuR in the final are BiciBus-Deutschland, which runs guided bike rides for schoolchildren, and radbox.nrw, a digital platform for safe bicycle parking. Beyond innovative character, the jury deemed it especially crucial that the nominated solutions are already successfully applied and transferable to other areas.

The finalist placement underscores the AZuR network's significance for a resource-efficient mobility economy, as converting linear value chains into closed material cycles demands collaboration among manufacturers, retailers, service providers, recycling companies, research institutions and users. AZuR links these stakeholders, fosters knowledge transfer, initiates research projects and pushes for wider practical use of sustainable tire solutions, so the nomination also honours its partners' shared commitment to longer tyre life, retrofitting and high-quality recycling. Awarded for the sixth time in 2026, the honour also includes a personality prize and a special Mobility Design award, with the ceremony held on the eve of the German Mobility Congress.

Prof Knut Ringat, Chairman of the Jury, said, “Innovation doesn’t always have to be the next big technology. All three finalists combine individual solutions into a system that makes mobility easier, more sustainable and more accessible – and that achieves more than the sum of its parts."

Prof Dr Jan Ninnemann, President of the DVWG and member of the jury, said, “All three finalists are already working in practice. We were also convinced that their approaches are not limited to a single location but can be adopted by other schools, municipalities or companies as well."

Anna-Maria Guth, Network Coordinator, AZuR, said, “The nomination is a great recognition for our entire network and shows that the tyre circular economy is an important driver of innovation for sustainable mobility. Together with our partners, we are committed to using tyres longer through remanufacturing, conserving valuable resources and closing the loop.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Partnership targets passenger car radial tyres, with new plant planned and joint venture agreement due by 2030.

Balkrishna Industries (BKT), the Indian maker of off-highway tyres, has agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture with Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli to manufacture passenger car tyres in India, as both companies seek to expand their presence in the market.

BKT and Pirelli signed a framework agreement on Thursday setting out the proposed venture’s structure and timelines, alongside separate agreements covering tyre manufacturing and technical support, according to a stock exchange filing by BKT.

The proposed joint venture will manufacture passenger car radial (PCR) tyres under the Pirelli and BKT brands and establish a new manufacturing plant in India. The partners intend to share the venture’s manufacturing capacity equally, with each nominating two directors to a four-member board and the chairmanship rotating between them.

The joint venture agreement is yet to be signed. The companies have agreed to incorporate the venture by December 31 2030, subject to the fulfilment or waiver of specified conditions.

Under an interim offtake agreement, BKT will manufacture Pirelli-branded passenger car tyres at its existing plant in Bhuj, Gujarat, using Pirelli’s specifications and know-how. Pirelli and its affiliates will purchase the tyres, with pricing based on actual raw material costs plus conversion costs. Payments will be made in rupees for domestic supplies and euros for exports.

The agreement includes a minimum annual purchasing commitment from Pirelli, matched by a corresponding capacity commitment from BKT. The arrangement is expected to remain in force until the joint venture becomes operational and can meet Pirelli’s demand. Otherwise, it will continue until December 31 2031, subject to a possible extension by mutual agreement.

The partnership also provides for Pirelli to supply technical support for testing BKT-branded tyres, including products for sport utility vehicles, passenger cars and two-wheelers. The services will use Pirelli’s testing facilities outside India, with BKT paying fees in euros under an agreed pricing schedule.

For Pirelli, which the filing says currently has a commercial presence in India, the venture represents a step towards strengthening its position in a market with growing demand for higher-value tyres. The company reported consolidated revenue of approximately €6.78bn for the year ended December 2025.

For BKT, the agreement offers a route into the passenger car tyre segment beyond its established business, potentially opening opportunities in domestic and international markets.

The agreements also contain restrictions on competing arrangements. While the framework agreement remains in force, neither company may enter a joint venture or similar arrangement with a third party in India to manufacture car, light truck, motorcycle or bicycle tyres, although wholly owned plants are excluded. Under the offtake agreement, BKT cannot manufacture comparable or competing passenger car tyres for third parties, but remains free to develop and sell its own BKT-branded products.

The proposed joint venture’s completion remains subject to the conditions specified in the agreements. The companies have not disclosed a financial value for the transaction or the proposed plant’s investment cost in the filing.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. is set to appear at the IRC2026 AICHI Rubber & Elastomer Technical Exhibition, a four-day gathering running 3–6 November at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture. Held in tandem with the International Rubber Conference 2026, which convenes rubber and elastomer scientists and engineers from across the globe, the event carries the theme ‘Future Rubber Technology toward Sustainability’.

Yokohama Rubber's own display, billed as ‘Yokohama's Technology Supporting a Sustainable Society’, will spotlight innovations embedded in tyres and industrial goods that tackle societal challenges through diminished environmental footprints, stronger safety and cost efficiency and lighter labour burdens.

On the tyre front, visitors will encounter the iceGUARD 8 for passenger cars and the newly launched iceGUARD 8 SUV, introduced in September. Explanations will cover the tread patterns and the AQUA BUSTER naturally derived, highly absorbent compound responsible for grip on frozen roads. Racing fans will note ADVAN tyres built from renewable and recycled feedstocks and supplied to Japan's SUPER FORMULA Championship, alongside a BluEarth-GT AE51 prototype incorporating biomass-derived butadiene rubber. The company will also outline R&D balancing performance retention with greater sustainable material uptake and reduced petroleum dependence in synthetic rubber.

Industrial offerings include the Smart Belt, a conveyor belt carrying embedded RFID tags, together with maintenance support services that harvest wear and temperature readings to recommend upkeep approaches and belt specs matched to operating conditions – enhancing safety while trimming inspection and maintenance effort. Cutaway samples will reveal automotive air-conditioning hose construction using lightweight resin liquid piping and marine hose architecture underpinning safe seaborne crude and petroleum product transport.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Pirelli has confirmed its tyre compound choices for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, selecting the C2 as Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft. This marks a return to a familiar combination after the 2025 experiment that introduced an additional step between the Hard and Medium compounds. Last year the C1 served as the hardest available tyre but was unused in the race, with teams preferring one-stop strategies built around the softer C3 and C4 options. The Austin round opens a triple-header on the American continent that also includes Mexico City and São Paulo, and it stands as the second of three United States-based events this season ahead of Las Vegas.

The weekend reverts to the traditional format without a Sprint, giving teams three free practice sessions to refine car balance and set-ups on a circuit that does not demand extreme compromises. The 5.513-kilometre COTA layout blends high-speed corners, rapid direction changes and slower sections requiring strong traction, so competitiveness depends on pairing straight-line speed with efficient aerodynamic load through technical passages. From a tyre perspective, the track loads both axles: the fast corners of the first sector stress the front tyres, while the acceleration zones out of slow corners in the third sector generate thermal degradation primarily at the rear.

The asphalt is not especially abrasive, and a section between Turns 9 and 11 was resurfaced earlier this year, though ageing across the remainder of the circuit contributes to significant wear. Tyre wear rather than graining could therefore prove decisive, as several tyres reached very high wear values at last year's event. Strategically, the C2 Hard could favour long stints in what is likely a one-stop race, though typically high Texan temperatures may increase degradation and open alternative approaches. Medium-Soft was last year's most popular strategy, used by 13 drivers, with Charles Leclerc the lone podium finisher to start on Softs.

Austin has hosted the United States Grand Prix 13 times, though the event's total history spans 46 editions across six circuits; Lewis Hamilton leads with six victories, one shy of Michael Schumacher's record, and Ferrari holds the constructors' mark with 11 wins. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America season, supplied by Pirelli for the first time, concludes at COTA during the Grand Prix weekend, with Tyler Maxson leading the Mobil Pro standings by 27 points after Road Atlanta, though Aaron Jeansonne remains in contention with two races and bonus points available. Pirelli Design has also created a special podium cap by designer Denis Dekovic, featuring a star pattern inspired by the American flag alongside cacti and rattlesnakes as Texan desert symbols.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!