Japanese tyre major Yokohama Rubber Co. (Yokohama) is all set to further strengthen its off-the-road (OTR) tyre business with a $905 million cash deal to acquire The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company OTR tyre business.

The acquisition is part of Yokohama’s strategic investment that, it says, will contribute towards ‘Hockey Stick Growth’. 

Yokohama is currently implementing its Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) new medium-term management plan for FY2024–2026. It plans to further advance the ‘exploitation’ of the strengths of its existing businesses and the ‘exploration’ of new value and complete the transformation begun under its previous medium-term management plan YX2023, while being mindful to not leave any negative legacies for the next generation. 

The YX2026 positions the off-highway tyre (OHT) business as a future growth driver and programmatic M&A as one of the growth strategies being used to expand Yokohama's OHT business. The acquisition of Goodyear’s OTR business will contribute to that expansion and enhance Yokohama's corporate value.

Goodyear's OTR tyre business provides industry-leading OTR tyres for surface and underground mining, construction and quarry, and port and industrial end markets. It also offers a comprehensive suite of products, services and tyre management solutions that help customers optimise their operations and improve productivity and efficiency.

Mark Steward, CEO & President, Goodyear said, "The sale of the OTR business marks an important milestone as we continue to execute against our Goodyear Forward transformation plan. We are grateful to our OTR colleagues who have driven the success of the business and are committed to working closely with Yokohama to ensure a smooth transition for customers and associates."

It is important to note that Goodyear will retain its business providing OTR tyres for the U.S. military and defence applications. Furthermore, pursuant to a product supply agreement to be entered into with Yokohama in connection with the closing of the transaction, Goodyear will manufacture certain OTR tyres for Yokohama at some of its manufacturing locations for an initial period of up to five years after the closing of the transaction.

Goodyear says it intends to use transaction proceeds to reduce leverage and fund initiatives in connection with the Goodyear Forward transformation plan.

Yokohama says the global OHT market size is estimated to be about 4 trillion Japanese yen (INR 2,440 billion) and is expected to grow six percent a year, considerably higher than the projected two percent annual growth for the consumer tyre market. At present, the Yokohama Group's has a strong position in the agriculture and forestry machinery tyres segment, which it says accounts for about 40 percent of the global OHT market. The acquisition will serve to complement Yokohama's OHT product range in non-agricultural applications by bringing in the strong brand power of Goodyear’s OTR business into the Group.

In fiscal 2023, Goodyear reported sales of $678 million (INR 56 billion) and EBITDA of $129 million (INR 11 billion)), for an EBITDA margin of 19 percent.

Goodyear’s OTR product lineup covers a wide range of sizes, from smaller tyres with diameters of up to 25-inches to large- and ultra-large tyres with diameters of 49- to 63-inches. 

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Ecolomondo Corporation, a Canadian developer of sustainable tyre recycling technology, has released its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ending 30 June 2025. The period was marked by significant progress in commercialising its Hawkesbury thermal decomposition facility, particularly within the recovered carbon black (rCB) department. A major milestone was reached with the installation and commissioning of new milling equipment, a critical step for the plant to achieve full operational capacity, as rCB is its primary revenue generator.

Following the quarter's end, the company's main rCB client formally approved the product quality, leading to five consecutive purchase orders for multiple truckloads delivered between July and August. A separate US-based customer has also approved the rCB quality, with bulk purchase orders anticipated imminently.

Financially, Ecolomondo secured USD 1.5 million through private placements and finalised a significant agreement with Export Development Canada (EDC). This arrangement provides a temporary postponement of principal and interest payments on three existing loans, improving the company's working capital and investor confidence. This debt modification resulted in a gain of USD 2,495,209, which contributed to a reported net profit of USD 1,452,712, for the quarter, despite an operating loss, which stood at USD 1,042,497 for the quarter, compared to USD 443,418 for the same period of 2024.

Revenue saw substantial growth, increasing by 212 percent to USD 395,149 compared to the same period in 2024, driven by product sales and tipping fees at the Hawkesbury plant. Capital expenditures for the Hawkesbury TDP turnkey facility totalled USD 51,358,723 after accounting for depreciation, while the company’s cash and cash equivalents stood at USD 1,508,645. Over the coming 12 months, Ecolomondo anticipates utilising an additional USD 2.0 million, which will be primarily allocated to covering ongoing working capital requirements and essential capital purchases for the Hawkesbury facility.

The company also advanced its global expansion strategy, signing a definitive agreement with ARESOL, a renewable energy group, to construct four turnkey recycling facilities in the European Union. The first plant is planned for Valencia, Spain. At its Annual General Meeting, all management proposals were unanimously adopted by shareholders.

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The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), alongside 13 other European business organisations, has signed a Joint Statement urging the European Commission to ensure a strong and ambitious implementation of the Data Act.

The coalition, including numerous SMEs and Small Mid-Caps from the digital and industrial sectors of European companies, has urged the European Commission to uphold the regulation against pressure to dilute its core provisions, identifying it as a crucial framework for unlocking industrial data across the EU economy. The signatories contend that a robust implementation is vital for fostering a competitive market and unleashing innovation, particularly for smaller businesses.

The coalition highlights the Act’s benefits, which include empowering SMEs with data portability rights, protecting them from unfair contractual terms and mandating that data sharing occurs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. A key provision requires cloud providers to facilitate switching through open standards, combating vendor lock-in. The statement expresses concern that lobbying efforts for delayed enforcement, weaker interoperability definitions and reliance on global standards without fairness guarantees threaten to undermine these objectives.

For the Data Act to be effective, the coalition insists on full implementation to open data markets to genuine competition and prevent SMEs from being excluded by legal complexity. The statement also calls for a proportionate approach, requesting practical guidance, standard contractual clauses and well-resourced enforcement authorities to support smaller companies. It notes that in certain sectors, supplementary legislation may be needed for full clarity.

The coalition concludes that strong enforcement is paramount, asserting that without it, the Act's rights will remain theoretical. They warn that any delay or softening of key provisions risks reinforcing the very market barriers the regulation was designed to eliminate. The signatories urge the Commission to ensure robust enforcement to secure a competitive and innovative Single Market for all companies.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been selected as the official tyre supplier for the groundbreaking FIA Extreme H World Cup, the world's first hydrogen-powered motorsport series. The company will supply its GEOLANDAR brand of tyres for the championship, which is scheduled to commence next month in Saudi Arabia. The company will also continue to supply GEOLANDAR tyres for the Extreme E off-road electric vehicle series, which holds its final event on 4–5 October in Saudi Arabia.

Central to both the Extreme H and Extreme E series is a shared mission to advance sustainability and equality. The championships serve as dynamic platforms to promote environmental awareness and demonstrate cutting-edge technologies while also enforcing a strict mandate for gender parity by requiring each team to field one male and one female driver. The Extreme H series will feature eight international teams operating the Pioneer 25, a cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell vehicle capable of generating 550 horsepower and accelerating from 0 to 100 kmph in 4.5 seconds. The global significance of this new championship is expected to draw a worldwide television audience across multiple continents.

As the predecessor to Extreme H, the Extreme E series utilised the high-performance all-electric Odyssey 21 vehicle. All teams competing in the new hydrogen series will also participate in this final Extreme E event, marking the conclusion of the electric championship as it transitions towards a hydrogen future.

In alignment with the environmental principles of these series, Yokohama Rubber will provide a specially developed prototype tyre based on its GEOLANDAR X-AT model. This tyre has been engineered with a significantly increased ratio of sustainable materials, comprising 38 percent renewable and recycled content. It has also been fortified with enhanced durability characteristics to withstand the unique demands of heavy hydrogen-powered and electric off-road racing vehicles.

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Hankook Tire is advancing its future mobility leadership through strategic open innovation and collaborative design projects. This effort was showcased at the company’s recent Design Innovation Day 2025, held at its Pangyo Technoplex headquarters. The event serves as a platform to present new solutions integrating sustainability, innovation and design while reinforcing partnerships with global technology leaders.

A major focus was the unveiling of two key outcomes from Hankook’s ongoing Design Innovation Project. The first was ‘Sustainable Concept Tyre’, an embodiment of the company’s ESG vision. Developed using advanced 3D printing technology, it is constructed from renewable and recycled materials. Its distinctive organic design was realised in collaboration with Harvestance using specialised engineering software.

The second reveal was the WheelBot 2, a multi-directional mobility platform developed with robotics startup CALMANTECH. This advanced robotic wheel system, equipped with tri-axial spherical tyres, demonstrates new possibilities for movement. Its potential was illustrated through a live demonstration of the PathCruizer, a two-seater pod concept powered by the WheelBot technology.

Beyond product reveals, the event highlighted Hankook’s commitment to knowledge sharing, featuring a presentation on 3D printing advancements from LG Electronics. These collaborations are central to Hankook’s strategy of strengthening its technology leadership. Since 2012, the company has partnered with world-renowned design universities and technology firms, consistently earning prestigious international design awards and solidifying the premium stature of its global brand.

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