Under its Laufenn Brand, Hankook introduced a new line of tyres for commercial use for the second tier of the UK market.

Laufenn will initially launch with nine different patterns, covering the main range of tyre sizes, for the transport of goods, people as well as tyres for construction traffic. The initial line-up has been developed to meet more than 85% of the total market needs, with most of the sizes offering 3PMSF labelling.

“Our new Laufenn truck and bus radial tyres will offer the UK market a valuable addition to Hankook’s overall product portfolio,” says Chang-Yool Han, Managing Director of Hankook Tyre UK. “It will help us to demonstrate to our customers that Hankook is a premium tyre maker, able to offer a full and comprehensive product range, and therefore strengthen our position as a tyre solution provider.” Paul Emery, Sales Director of the UK adds: “To us this is a unique opportunity – by launching an additional truck and bus tyre brand for commercial use, we also substantiate the development of Hankook’s TBR offer into a striving, full-service, premium brand with all its associated technological innovations.”

The Laufenn truck and bus tyre line-up will initially offer products for regional haul use, last-mile delivery, public transport and construction traffic. All patterns are regroovable and retreadable with a deep original tread to deliver a good mileage performance. With proven casing technology and the necessary tread compound know-how, nine different tread patterns will initially be available to cover most of the market needs, of which 80% carry the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.

The Laufenn range will include five tread designs for regional haul, three for construction and material handling traffic and one for urban and commuting bus services:

The regional haul treads cover Truck, Trailer and Bus needs. The two steer tyres, Laufenn LF21 for regional to longer driving distances, and LF22 for regional hauling, accommodate a wide range of vehicles, ensuring they will be well equipped and profiting from excellent durability, among other advantages. The Laufenn LZ22 serves as a drive axle tyre for regional haul application, offering a robust tread compound for long tyre life and even wear. Laufenn LF90 an LF91 both fit the purposes of regional haul trailer tyres in different sizes.

The On & Off road application range of Laufenn truck tyres covers the needs of customers who frequently serve construction sites with their fleet. Therefore, the all position Laufenn tyres LR01 and LR02 both offer the necessary heavy-duty endurance to withstand different levels of ground condition-induced stress. Laufenn LR53 teams up with the LR01 and LR02 as a reliable drive axle tyre with good chip and cut resistance and ability to withstand the demands for On & Off road application.

A recent survey done by German tier 1 supplier Continental of fleet operators across Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America has revealed that almost 72 percent of respondents recognise the need for substantial changes to meet current industry challenges.

The poll results based on the responses of 850 fleet managers, which pointed out that rising costs (76 percent), economic uncertainties due to crises (46 percent) and the demand to reduce CO2 emissions (40 percent) were the key challenges faced by the operators.

It finds that while there were some common issues globally such as a rising costs and economic pressures, certain challenges such as a transition to electric mobility adoption differed depending on the geographies. Fleet manager shortage also was amongst the issues highlighted by the respondents.

Interestingly, fleet managers in the United States (63 percent) were found to be more open to adopt new technologies, in contrast to their European counterparts (20 percent).

Clarisa Doval, Head of Digital Solutions at Continental Tires, said, "Survey results highlight that cost pressure is the greatest challenge for fleet operators. Low margins, rising costs, and stricter emissions standards are reducing investment capacity, while wage developments and labour shortages add further strain. Our digital tyre management solutions provide our customers with a valuable asset in this transition. With ContiConnect, fleets can operate more cost-effectively and sustainably, supporting their competitiveness."

"Intense competition in logistics, which is being further intensified by climate change and ongoing global crises, makes adaptability and resilience a decisive factor for success. At Continental, we create innovative solutions to enhance fleet efficiency, reduce costs, and promote sustainability. Tyres are a key factor in total operating expenses, and our digital tools for tire condition monitoring deliver substantial long-term savings," she added.

MarketsandMarkets has said in its latest report that the tyre recycling market is expected to grow from USD 7.44 billion in 2024 to USD 8.92 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 3.7 percent.

The report titled ‘Tire Recycling Market by Product (Rubber, TDF, TDA, Carbon Black), Process (Mechanical Shredding, Ambient Grinding, Pyrolysis), Type (Service, Material), End-use Industry (Automotive, Construction, Manufacturing) and Region – Global Forecast to 2029’ attributes the growth in this market to increasing environmental awareness and the implementation of stringent government regulations in different countries in reducing waste and pollution in the environment. Key players in the tyre recycling market, according to the report, are Liberty Tire Recycling (US), GENAN HOLDING A/S (Denmark), ResourceCo (Australia), GRP LTD (India), Lehigh Technologies, Inc. (US), Entech Inc (US), Emanuel Tire LLC (US), BDS Tire Recycling (US), Contec (Poland) and CRM (US).

According to the report, the Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing market for tyre recycling during the forecast period because of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and economic growth in the region. Apart from this, government regulations in the Asia Pacific region are also playing a big role in shaping the tyre recycling market.

The report explains that govt incentives and regulatory benefits created by policies around sustainability and carbon reduction are significantly boosting opportunities in this sector. The report cites the Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR programme, which makes it mandatory for the producers of tyres to collect and recycle the tyres at their end-of-life. Additionally, the availability of government incentives and grants for the tyre recycling plants plays a favourable role for the sector.

The report further highlights that construction is the fast-growing end-use industry segment in the market for recycling tyres, explaining that the demand is partly driven by the growing use of recycled tyre products in infrastructure and building projects. These tyre-derived products are used in road construction and as building foundations, insulation and roofing materials. The demand for shock-absorbent, low-maintenance and durable materials in public space and recreational facilities, as well as sports fields, also plays and important role, says the report.

A new survey by OnePoll for Apollo Tyres has revealed that all-season tyres are preferred by a majority of drivers across Europe.

The findings, which took into account 1,000 respondents in each market, point to a constant increase in the popularity of tyres designed to perform throughout the year, including in dry, wet and snow conditions. Spain took the lead among the European countries with 82 percent respondents voting in favour of all-season tyres, followed by France (78 percent), the Netherlands (74 percent), Poland (72 percent) and the UK (65 percent).

For the customers of Apollo Tyres, its Vredestein brand’s Quatrac portfolio offers a lineup of tyres designed for a range of vehicles in a wide choice of sizes. The lineup includes the Quatrac, the Quatrac Pro and Pro+ for muscle cars and SUVs and the Quatrac Pro EV all-season tyre specifically designed for electric vehicles (EVs). All Quatrac tyres come with the ‘Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake’ mark and are fit for year-round use.

Yves Pouliquen, Vice President – Commercial, Europe, Apollo Tyres, said, “All-season tyres are becoming increasingly popular among motorists who want the reassurance of being able to safely tackle fast-changing weather conditions, year-round. With over three decades of expertise in all-season products, drivers can trust the Vredestein brand.”

Vaculug Limited, a leading commercial tyre retreading specialist based in Grantham, UK, has reshuffled its senior management team with the appointment of three new roles. The reshuffle is done with an aim to enhance the organisational structure and drive sustainable growth while prioritising employee development.

As part of the reorganisation, Philip West, Vaculug's Commercial Director, will now be responsible for managing all sales and RTM activities in addition to operations, marketing and customer service. West has been in the business for more than 42 years, and his leadership and depth of expertise make him a great fit for this position.

In his new role as Sales Director, Craig Rudkin will oversee the team responsible for sales and national accounts. Rudkin began working for Vaculug in a position located in a factory and has been with the firm for more than 33 years. Jason Humphries is now the Director of IT and Logistics. Humphries has over 20 years of experience in operations, logistics and IT and has played a key role in putting strategic plans into action since joining Vaculug in 2001.