Yokohama Rubber has commenced construction on a 456-million-euro passenger car tyre plant in Hangzhou, China, as part of its “1-year plant” initiative under the Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) strategy.

The facility, set to begin production in Q2 2026, will replace an existing plant in Hangzhou, which was relocated due to urban renewal projects. The new site will have an initial capacity of nine million tyres annually, expandable to 14 million units in a second phase.

It will produce high-value tyres, including ADVAN and GEOLANDAR brands, and cater to the growing demand for original equipment tyres for electric vehicles (EVs) and high-inch tyres in China’s replacement market.

The project prioritises energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and smart manufacturing. It marks Yokohama’s effort to enhance competitiveness through cost-effective, rapid plant construction, leveraging local partnerships.

Yokohama’s current Hangzhou plant produces six million tyres annually. The new facility will boost capacity by three million units, strengthen the company’s position in China’s tyre market, and support its partnerships with leading NEV manufacturers like Leapmotor.

LingLong Tire and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (Real Madrid) held a meeting on 2 December at the Real Madrid Training Ground (Ciudad Deportiva) in Madrid, Spain. This was the first in-person meeting since the strategic collaboration was formally announced on 27 September.

The meeting was attended by representatives from both sides, including Wang Feng, Chairman of LingLong Tire; Álvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid Ambassador and Emilio Butragueno, Director of Public Relations for Real Madrid. In order to experience the intense football culture and team spirit, they also went to the Real Madrid training facilities. During their journey to Madrid, LingLong Tire extended a special invitation to its international partners to attend a Real Madrid vs. Getafe game at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. This event showcased LingLong's brand image through brand displays around the stadium.

According to the partnership deal, LingLong will work with Real Madrid on market promotion, brand creation, fan interaction and other important areas, thereby increasing LingLong's worldwide visibility and impact. At the same time, LingLong will use Real Madrid's worldwide reach to deepen people's understanding of the product philosophy of safety and high value, as well as the goal of ecologically sustainable development.

Feng said, "The collaboration between LingLong Tire and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol represents an important showcase for the LingLong brand on the global stage. We look forward to elevating LingLong's brand influence worldwide through this partnership while also adding new brilliance to Real Madrid's outstanding track record and brand image."

Pyrum Innovations AG has submitted approval documents under Germany’s BImSchG law for its Green Factory II GmbH at Perl-Besch, paving the way for construction to begin in spring 2025. Despite earlier technical delays at its Dillingen/Saar site, the submission was made on time following receipt of final technical data.

At Dillingen/Saar, Pyrum reached a key milestone with over 2,000 operating hours logged at TAD 2 and 1,000 at TAD 3, meeting critical investment criteria for partners like Remondis. Production intervals for the new lines have been extended from four to four-and-a-half weeks, improving efficiency and output.

CEO Pascal Klein commented: “Shortly before the turn of the year, we have made significant progress in our rollout plan. With the submission of the building permit for Pyrum GreenFactory II GmbH, we have overcome the last major obstacle before the groundbreaking ceremony in spring 2025 in Perl-Besch. In addition, the two new lines have reached a new threshold. The high number of operating hours not only meets the assumed requirements of our partners, but also continues to demonstrate the performance of our technology. We are very proud of this new milestone and are already looking forward to the development of upcoming customer projects.”

JK Tyre Novice Cup 2024 is all set to pump the adrenaline levels of participants and fans alike at the Kari Motor Speedway circuit at Chettipalayam. There will be five races over the next two days (20 and 21 December), and the best performer will take the title of overall champion of 2024.

The JK Tyre Novice Cup, which is part of the 27th JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship, includes 22 racers from seven teams: Zion Racing, MSport, DTS Racing, Momentum Motorsport, Delta Speed, Ahura Racing and Avalanche Racing, all contending for the top position on the podium.

The JK Tyre Novice Cup was introduced in JK Tyre’s National Racing Championship in 2018 with an aim to give a fair and equal opportunity to newcomers who are looking to enter formula racing after proving their worth in karting. Notable mentions among the heroes created by this event are National Racing Champion Ruhaan Alva, current reigning champion of the JK Tyre National Racing Championship in Formula LGB4 Tijil Rao, Amir Sayed, Vishwas Vijayraj, Arjun Nair and Naethan.

In a major organisation change, Prometeon Tyre Group has appointed Deputy General Manager Yuan Liang as acting General Manager of Prometeon Tyre Group. This development comes after the exit of General Manager Roberto Righi from the company.

Prometeon will continue to pursue a market-oriented approach with a resolute emphasis on customers, products and technology, the company's official statement further affirmed. Through technical innovation and the provision of superior solutions, the organisation seeks to meet the changing demands of its clientele. In order to maintain long-term competitiveness, Prometeon is committed to promoting sustainability through the use of green, automated and digitalised processes.