The Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd has entered into a share purchase agreement with the Swedish-based Trelleborg AB to acquire all outstanding shares of Trelleborg Wheel Systems Holding AB (TWS), a company engaged in the manufacture and sale of off-highway tyres (OHT) for agricultural and industrial machinery. TWS’s enterprise value is EUR 2,040 million. 

Yokohama Rubber said in a statement that the acquisition is scheduled to be completed in the latter half of 2022. The acquisition’s impact on Yokohama Rubber’s consolidated financial results is currently under examination, it said. 

Yokohama Rubber is currently implementing its Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023) medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2021–2023.  

The TWS acquisition will contribute to the expansion of Yokohama Rubber’s OHT business, which YX2023 has positioned as a future growth driver for the company’s commercial tyre business. The ratio of consumer tyres to commercial tyres in today’s global tyre market is 1:1, but Yokohama Rubber’s tyre business sales are more heavily weighted toward consumer tyres, with a 2:1 ratio versus commercial tyres, the release pointed out. To bring the sales composition of its tyre business more in line with the overall market and secure the business’ stability and earnings growth, one of the key challenges facing Yokohama Rubber’s commercial tyre business is the growth of an OHT business capable of securing stably high earnings. The TWS acquisition will not only help Yokohama Rubber’s tyre business achieve a more optimal sales composition, but it will also strengthen the company’s commercial tyre business in each of the four thematic areas set forth in YX2023—product lineup, cost, service, and DX, the company said. 

TWS sales in fiscal 2021 totalled about YEN 129.0 billion, accounting for about 30 per cent of Trelleborg AB’s consolidated sales. Over the past 10 years, TWS has expanded its sales by 2.6 times and more than tripled EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes). While expanding sales it has sustained stably high profitability, with its EBIT ratio continuously above 10 per cent, the release said. 

Of tyres manufactured and sold by TWS, agricultural tyres account for about 60 per cent and industrial tyres about 20 per cent, with the remainder being tyres for construction machinery and motorcycles. TWS has 14 manufacturing plants in nine countries — seven in Europe (Italy, Latvia, Serbia, Slovenia, and three in the Czech Republic), two in the United States, one in Brazil, and four in Asia (two in China and two in Sri Lanka). About 70 per cent of its sales are in Europe. (TT)

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Prometeon Tyre Group has marked a significant advancement in its enduring technical alliance with MM Technology following the unveiling of the Czech firm’s latest rally competition truck, the MMT EVO5. As a global manufacturer of tyres for commercial, agricultural and off-the-road sectors, Prometeon continues to solidify its role as a key partner in high-performance motorsport engineering.

The MMT EVO5 emerges as the newest iteration of MM Technology’s rally truck lineage, incorporating direct feedback and performance data from this year’s Dakar Rally. The company, co-founded by two-time Dakar champion Martin Macík Jr, has integrated reinforced chassis components, a more robust cab structure and a newly developed shock absorber setup. These enhancements were formulated through close collaboration with suppliers, reflecting the real-world experience of both the factory team and client squads.

As the exclusive original equipment tyre supplier, Prometeon equips every rally truck produced at MM Technology’s Sedlčany facility. This partnership underscores a mutual dedication to research and development, with the joint engineering programme driving the evolution of Prometeon’s rally tyre range. The progression from the extreme-condition S02 Pista to the current S02 Rally EVO demonstrates this continuous refinement, representing the manufacturer’s most advanced competition tyre to date.

The effectiveness of this collaboration was prominently displayed at the 2026 Dakar Rally, where nine MM Technology trucks entered and eight finished, with six securing top-10 overall positions. Both the MM Technology Factory Team and the ItalTrans Racing Team, running on Prometeon tyres, concluded the event within the overall top nine. Recent intensive testing in the Tunisian desert has further informed ongoing developments for both tyres and the new vehicle. Ultimately, motorsport remains a critical testing ground for Prometeon, where every race kilometre contributes directly to the advancement of future commercial products.

Francisco Nascimento, Head of R&D Product at Prometeon, said, "Our collaboration with MM Technology goes far beyond a technical partnership. It is a genuine joint development programme built around continuous innovation. Having one of the world's leading rally truck manufacturers choose Prometeon as its exclusive original equipment tyre supplier is a source of great pride and enables us to develop our products in the most demanding environments imaginable.

“Martin Macík Jr is an exceptional development driver whose feedback constantly pushes us to raise the bar. Together with the expertise of the MM Technology engineering team and our drive for innovation, we are even more confident in the capabilities of our latest generation of tyres, and are proud to see them fitted as original equipment on the new MMT EVO5 as it embarks on its competitive journey.”

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Pirelli has designated the SC0 rear tyre as the new benchmark for Moto2 as the MotoGP World Championship resumes its season this weekend at Silverstone for the 12th round. The Italian manufacturer is supplying its standard range compounds for both support classes, with the updated SC0 making a notable return to the British circuit following its successful evaluation there last year.

The 2026-spec soft rear tyre, which initially debuted as a development prototype, features an altered structure from its predecessor and was universally embraced by competitors during practice sessions, even contributing to a new lap record. Its promotion to the standard lineup sees it joined at the rear by the new medium SC1 compound, formerly a development specification, while front tyre duties are covered by the soft SC1 and the medium SC2 options.

Silverstone presents a formidable technical challenge as the longest venue on the calendar at 5.9 kilometres, demanding exceptional machine and rider performance through high-speed corners and rapid directional shifts. The circuit’s low-abrasion surface and notably wide racing corridor allow for varied lines, adding another layer of strategic complexity to the already fast-paced weekend.

In the Moto3 class, Pirelli has made available the soft SC1 and medium SC2 compounds for both front and rear positions. The majority of the field last year favoured the medium SC2 at both ends, a choice that propelled José Antonio Rueda to victory from the back of the grid, though a segment of riders alternatively selected the softer SC1 option for their machines.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “For this weekend's round at Silverstone, one of the most iconic and technically demanding circuits on the World Championship calendar, Pirelli will once again provide standard range tyres for both classes, featuring the rear soft SC0 compound that made its Moto2™ debut at this very circuit last year as the E0125 development option. The E0125, which complemented the then standard soft tyre, was immediately appreciated by the intermediate class riders, who, on a highly demanding circuit characterised by numerous high-speed corners and changes of direction where stability is essential, focused exclusively on this new solution from Friday onwards.

“Introduced again at subsequent events, the former E0125 quickly became the Moto2™ riders' benchmark, offering greater stability, outright one-lap performance and consistent performance across a wide variety of weather and track conditions. As a result, it was promoted to the new standard soft tyre for this season. More than a year after its debut, and thanks to the significant development work carried out by the teams during this period, the SC0 has already contributed to numerous lap records this season. Weather conditions permitting, it will therefore be interesting to see whether Silverstone can deliver further progress compared with last year's benchmark.”

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Hankook Tire, the exclusive tyre supplier for the FIA World Rally Championship, played a central role in the season's 10th round at Secto Rally Finland. The event concluded on 2 August in Jyväskylä, where the company’s Dynapro R213 extreme all-terrain rally tyre was put to the ultimate test across the demanding Finnish landscape.

Competitive action unfolded over 20 Special Stages, covering a total distance of 316.04 kilometres. Renowned as the fastest rally on the WRC calendar, the event subjected vehicles and tyres to extreme speeds. The challenging route was characterised by blind crests that impaired visibility, frequent jumps and narrow forest roads, placing a premium on tyre durability and overall driving stability.

The supplied Dynapro R213 tyre proved instrumental in managing these severe conditions. On the ultra-high-speed gravel sections, it effectively absorbed the impact of repeated landings while delivering consistent grip and precise steering response. Its robust construction ensured reliable performance across the loose dirt and forest roads, allowing competitors to push their vehicles to the limit.

Sami Pajari of Toyota GAZOO Racing claimed a home victory, securing back-to-back wins after his success in Estonia. This result advanced him to second in the Drivers’ Championship with 171 points. Looking ahead, Round 11 is the ueno Rally del Paraguay from 27 to 30 August, featuring gravel stages that will demand exceptional tyre resilience. Hankook applies data from its WRC involvement and other global motorsport events to its R&D, fostering continuous innovation and reinforcing its status as a leading global brand.

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Legislation aimed at overhauling decades-old federal tyre safety regulations has been introduced in the United States Senate. The Tire Safety Modernization Act of 2026, sponsored by Senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, seeks to replace outdated testing mandates with contemporary performance standards that better reflect current manufacturing innovations and production techniques.

The proposed bill directs the Department of Transportation to revise federal testing protocols, retiring obsolete requirements in favour of more relevant criteria. A key component of the legislation involves aligning high-speed testing procedures with internationally recognised best practices while also clarifying existing safety criteria to ensure more effective regulatory oversight. The measure preserves a strong emphasis on passenger safety while adapting to the capabilities of modern tyre engineering.

Strong support for the initiative has emerged from the tyre manufacturing sector. Anne Forristall Luke, President and CEO of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, praised the bipartisan effort as a crucial step towards aligning American rules with technological progress, bolstering road safety and enhancing the industry’s global competitiveness. Executives from major manufacturers, including Continental Tire, Goodyear and Yokohama, have similarly endorsed the update, noting that it would allow engineering and compliance resources to focus on innovations that genuinely benefit drivers.

Senator Warnock highlighted the importance of Georgia’s prominent tyre production sector, while Senator Wicker emphasised that federal regulations have failed to keep pace with evolving manufacturing technology. Industry leaders collectively view the act as a thoughtful, science-based modernisation that supports domestic manufacturing competitiveness and ensures that safety standards reflect the demands of modern vehicles, roads and driving conditions across the country.

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