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)

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TyreSafe has entered into a new collaborative agreement with the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), marking a unified effort to mitigate occupational road risks and enhance vehicle safety standards within United Kingdom's rail sector. This strategic alliance will see TyreSafe integrating its expertise with the RSSB’s Road Risk Group (RRG) to bolster safety protocols for rail employees, contractors and all personnel traveling on industry business.

The core objective of this partnership is to embed tyre safety education, awareness and best practices into the rail industry's operational framework. By doing so, the collaboration directly targets the hazards associated with work-related driving. This initiative comes as data reveals that road traffic collisions were responsible for 3 out of 10 workforce fatalities in the rail industry over the five-year period leading up to 2024, underscoring the critical need for enhanced risk management.

In response, the Road Risk Group is spearheading sector-wide improvements by fostering collaboration, sharing safety methodologies and refining safety reporting and analysis. The group is also championing behavioural and cultural shifts within organisations while actively promoting the Occupational Road Risk Management Charter. This partnership recognises that effective risk management encompasses not only driver conduct but also vehicle maintenance and overarching safety culture.

Through joint educational campaigns and resources, TyreSafe and RSSB will encourage rail organisations to prioritise tyre condition as a fundamental component of their road safety strategies. This initiative directly supports the broader objectives of the Rail Health and Safety Strategy, which has identified occupational road risk management as a key priority for safeguarding the industry's workforce.

Lucy Powell, Strategy Manager at RSSB, who approved the partnership, said, “Road risk continues to be one of the most significant safety challenges facing the rail industry beyond the railway boundary. Partnering with TyreSafe enables us to strengthen awareness of one of the most critical elements of vehicle safety. Through education, collaboration and the sharing of best practice, we can help organisations better manage occupational road risk and support our industry’s commitment to protecting everyone who drives for work.”

Caitriona O’Brien, Workforce Health and Safety Manager at Network Rail and Chair of the RSSB Road Risk Group, said, “The Road Risk Group is committed to championing a stronger focus on managing occupational road risk across the rail industry. Working with TyreSafe brings valuable expertise that complements our strategic objectives, helping organisations place greater emphasis on vehicle safety as part of a wider culture of safe driving. By working together, we can continue to reduce preventable incidents and improve outcomes for everyone travelling on work-related journeys.”

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said, “We are delighted to become an official partner of RSSB and to support the important work of the Road Risk Group. Tyres are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road, yet they are often overlooked in fleet safety programmes. By working with RSSB, we can help embed tyre safety into occupational road risk management across the rail sector, ensuring that employees and contractors understand the vital role that properly maintained tyres play in preventing incidents and saving lives.”

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Yokohama Tire has renewed its environmental collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation’s North Orange County chapter through a recent coastal cleanup initiative at Seal Beach in Southern California. The joint effort resulted in the collection of dozens of refuse bags, with the total haul of hazardous waste exceeding 100 pounds (approximately 45.36 kg) removed from the local shoreline.

This beach restoration project represents the latest activity in a three-year partnership between the tyre manufacturer and the nonprofit organisation. The initiative falls under Yokohama’s broader corporate social responsibility framework known as the ‘Caring for our Communities’ programme, which coordinates various philanthropic endeavours.

Beyond the direct cleanup efforts, Yokohama continues to provide material support to the Surfrider chapter, including student club memberships, water quality testing kits, cigarette butt collection canisters and replacement equipment for harbour maintenance. The company maintains similar environmental partnerships with Tread Lightly! and the California State Parks Foundation alongside its ongoing work with Surfrider.

Alan Holtschneider, Senior Director of Marketing, Yokohama, said, “It’s been truly gratifying being a part of Surfrider Foundation’s North OC Chapter ongoing work to protect the environment, especially the beaches and oceans. We continue to volunteer on numerous projects with them, and the successful Seal Beach cleanup was another great example. It’s all part of Surfrider’s ongoing mission to protect and preserve the world’s ocean, waves and beaches for all to enjoy.”

George Manyak, longtime event coordinator for Surfrider Foundation North Orange County Chapter, said, “We really appreciate all the help Yokohama Tire has given us over the years. Their support has made a major impact on keeping our local beaches clean and safe for visitors to experience.”

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Nexen Tire America has unveiled a comprehensive overhaul of its Next Level Associate Dealer Program, introducing structural changes designed to accelerate dealer qualification and enhance reward accessibility. The revised initiative directly responds to dealer input by lowering purchase thresholds and creating new earning opportunities for participants at various stages of engagement with the brand.

Central to the updated framework is a substantial reduction in the quarterly Tier 1 qualification benchmark, which has been decreased by 40 percent from 100 units to 60 eligible tyres per quarter. Additionally, a new introductory earning bracket has been established for dealers purchasing between 1 and 59 qualifying units, granting them USD two per tyre. The programme’s annual True-Up mechanism has also been expanded, allowing dealers who achieve year-end tier qualifications to receive volume bonuses for previous quarters where they initially fell short, with the 2026 annual qualifier reduced to 320 units.

Given the midyear implementation, Nexen has instituted a transitional qualification schedule for 2026, applying the former 100-unit standard to the first two quarters while the new 60-unit tier takes effect for the third and fourth quarters. To commemorate the programme’s relaunch, a Triple Dollars promotion will run from 1 July through 13 September, significantly increasing per-tyre payouts on select patterns, including the N’Blue 4S2, AH5, GTX, HP, CT8, AH7, AH8, N’Fera Sport, N’Priz S, N’Fera AU7, Roadian ATX, Roadian HTX2 and Roadian MTX models.

Participants can monitor their qualifying purchases, tier progression and total earnings through the Next Level online dealer dashboard. Complete eligibility criteria and payout structures are available through Nexen Tire America sales representatives, who can provide detailed guidance on the revised program provisions.

John Hagan, Executive Vice President – Sales, Nexen Tire America, said, “We listened closely to our Next Level dealers, and they have spoken about wanting a programme that makes it easier to qualify and provides more opportunities to earn. These changes deliver on that feedback by opening the programme to more dealers, allowing them to qualify sooner and begin earning rewards faster. We believe the new programme will help dealers grow their business with Nexen and ultimately strengthen our dealer network long term.”

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FALKEN has released a new film titled ‘The Perfect Lap’, offering a gripping behind-the-scenes look at the team's recent campaign in the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. The film arrives following the team's 27th participation in the legendary endurance event, which took place this past May. It meticulously documents the intense operational rhythm within the pit lane and the unforgiving nature of the Nordschleife circuit, set against one of the world's largest motorsport gatherings, attracting over 450,000 spectators.

The documentary underscores the challenge of the 24-hour race, where contenders must execute between 156 and 162 nearly perfect laps to secure victory. Created with automotive film specialists FORMAT67, the production team spent six days capturing footage on the treacherous track. The use of a U-Crane camera rig enabled dynamic tracking shots following the FALKEN Porsche directly on the tarmac, delivering authentic and high-quality visuals.

Emphasising traditional filmmaking, the entire project was executed without artificial intelligence, from location shoots through post-production. This commitment to conventional methods was a deliberate choice to enhance the film's genuine credibility and emotional resonance. The film portrays a team defined by relentless determination, returning annually to pursue ultimate triumph in this iconic race.

Debuting in 1999, the FALKEN Motorsport Team has evolved into a front-running force at the Green Hell. Its greatest achievement remains a podium finish with third place in 2015, and the recognisable Porsche 911 GT3 R continues to be a fan favourite. With a history of ‘Top 10’ finishes and high-profile drivers, the team carries immense ambition, using compelling track footage to tell stories fuelled by emotion and the harsh realities of endurance racing.

Dennis Wilstermann, Marketing Manager, Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH, which also includes the tyre brand FALKEN, said, “It was particularly important to us to give the film a classic, premium look while maintaining a timeless visual style. The film captures the unique atmosphere and intensity of the Nürburgring 24 Hours while also telling the story of a broader, recurring challenge in motorsport: the pursuit of the perfect lap.”

Evropi Dionysiadou, Brand Communications Specialist, Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH, and responsible for the production, said, “The concept behind the film is to symbolise precision, passion, teamwork and the relentless drive to extract the maximum performance time and time again – lap after lap, day and night. In this respect, endurance racing and our complex film productions have a great deal in common.”

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