We talk to industry spokespeople and end-users about using nitrogen tyres and air tyres, including their experiences, benefits, myths and more. Read on…

Air tyres are a reality. So are nitrogen tyres. Both have users and suppliers. And many have tried using the two, choosing one over the other. While air tyres are very common, nitrogen tyres are still rolling their way in. Yet there are those who swear by nitrogen tyres and those who could never leave an air tyre’s side.

Benefits experienced from nitrogen tyres
Sneha Phadke, a management generalist based in Pune, India, has been using nitrogen-inflated tyres for the past four years. “When I purchased my two-wheeler, both the tyres were inflated with regular air, which was how I used it for six months. However, a couple of people back then suggested that switching to nitrogen would be more beneficial in terms of the riding experience and prolonging the tyres’ good health,” Phadke recounts, sharing her first-hand experience. “After that, there weren’t frequent punctures, the deflation wasn’t as fast as it happens with regular air, and taking a turn with my two-wheeler is much more comfortable. Air somehow makes the scooter heavier for me to ride – it feels like carrying some extra weight.”

Phadke is of the opinion that as an end-user, there is a significantly distinct experience when one rides a gearless scooter with air-inflated tyres versus a gearless scooter with nitrogen-inflated tyres. However, much did not change in other aspects after moving to nitrogen. For instance, she did not have to invest in extra maintenance for her tyres.

Cost efficiency and trustworthiness
In Phadke’s experience, nitrogen to inflate her scooter’s tyres was easily available to her in Pune. In fact, she already knew four petrol pumps in Pune that provide nitrogen for tyre inflation. “The nitrogen inflation is free. As for the first-time nitrogen inflation, the deflation of air and nitrogen inflation was done at a very nominal cost of INR 20-25 for my scooter,” she says.

Phadke finds it safer to get her tyres inflated with nitrogen at reputed petrol pumps only. This is because she believes that the company staff is properly trained and takes care of all the factors when it comes to checking the tyres and refilling the tyres with nitrogen to the right capacity. “That makes it more cost-efficient, trustworthy and the tyres healthier,” she clarifies. “Plus, the meters at these petrol pumps check the amount of nitrogen in the tyres, which does not give me any reason to doubt the purity of the gas.”

Nitrogen tyres – not for everyone
Like Phadke, Anish Makoday, a BBA student, found the advantage of being able to turn a two-wheeler more smoothly upon switching to nitrogen tyres. “A friend had told me that nitrogen-inflated tyres provide great fuel efficiency. So as petrol prices spiked, I thought that switching to nitrogen would be a good option,” Makoday cites. “Besides, my friends also claimed that nitrogen keeps the tyres cool, and the heat from the road does not affect them much.”

But this was not to last long. “The initial cost for switching to nitrogen (deflation and then inflation) for my scooter was INR 100. I have found the rate of refilling per tyre to differ everywhere, although I have found it to be INR 30-40 at most places,” Makoday informs. “With nitrogen tyres, one does not need to refill their tyres frequently and can refill them twice a month. This led to me often not realising that my tyres were running out of nitrogen and needed refilling. Therefore, I would ride my bike without refilling the tyres for two to three months straight. This resulted in the tyres getting punctured a lot. Unlike nitrogen tyres, regular air tyres require refilling every two weeks, cost up to INR 10 per tyre and one usually tends to refill them immediately once they fill the vehicle’s petrol tank.”

Therefore, Makoday stuck to nitrogen tyres for six months before going back to regular air tyres last year, after facing issues with punctured tyres. Also, he claims that he didn’t experience much difference between the two, except a bit in terms of mileage.

Ikshwaku Deopathak, a musician by profession, too, bid goodbye to nitrogen tyres, one of the reasons being that finding nitrogen stations/pumps was difficult. Nitrogen tyres had also started getting costly for Deopathak. Refilling his car’s tyres with nitrogen cost him a total of INR 200 – that’s INR 50 per tyre. Refilling the tyres with air turned out to be much cheaper, being INR 10 per tyre, he avows.

 Access to nitrogen
With the end-users’ different experiences of access to nitrogen for tyre refilling, we ask Amin Almel, CEO, Sunrise Instruments, to throw some light on this aspect. He apprises us that nitrogen refilling options are easily available in cities but can get difficult to access once one heads towards the outskirts and rural areas. “But as petrol pumps are showing up in different parts of the country, nitrogen filling is being made available there,” he states.

Ultimately, one has to take their discipline and riding/driving habits into account when considering moving over to the nitrogen side, Makoday believes. “If one checks and refills their tyres from time to time from the very beginning, unlike me, then nitrogen tyres might be for them,” he states. Sudershan Gusain, Sr DGM Technical Marketing and Standards and Regulations, Bridgestone India, informs that to derive the optimum benefit of nitrogen inflation, the percentage of nitrogen needs to be 95 percent or higher. However, topping up normal air in a nitrogen-inflated tyre once or twice is not known to have any negative impact on tyre life or tyre efficiency. 

Nitrogen tyres – a gimmick?
Ravi Chandarana, Co-founder of Kwik Fix Auto, is also one who would not recommend rolling your tyres into the nitrogen territory. “The benefits that people experience through nitrogen tyres are psychological,” Chandarana tells us matter-of-factly. “Nitrogen has been commercialised by tyre shops and petrol stations in the Indian tyre sector. It’s a gimmick; when a tyre shop provides nitrogen for tyre inflation, it advises the end-user to use only nitrogen for their tyres from then on. Thus, the customer tends to keep going back to that respective tyre shop to inflate his/her tyres with nitrogen. That builds the tyre shop’s relation with the customer, and the customer then tends to always remember that particular tyre shop in the back of his/her head. This makes the customer go back to that specific tyre shop a majority of times for tyre inflation and any kind of tyre service.”

Further emphasising his point on how nitrogen is not necessary for tyres, Chandarana highlights that, unlike the availability of air for the same, not every tyre shop and petrol pump out there provides nitrogen for tyre inflation. “That goes to show that not every vehicle tyre is inflated with nitrogen,” he points out. “This further goes on to show that perhaps nitrogen is not that necessary to a tyre – like petrol is to a car. Otherwise, every driver/rider would be using it. If tomorrow nitrogen weren’t available for your tyres, your vehicle would not stop functioning.”

 The myths of nitrogen tyres
As it turns out, Chandarana’s Kwik Fix Auto is a tyre dealer and also happens to be a nitrogen supplier for tyres to end-users. But the reason for supplying nitrogen to people’s tyres is solely because there is a demand for it, Chandarana states, but he certainly does not recommend it. He claims that there are several myths related to nitrogen tyres. “For one, people are often told that nitrogen makes their vehicles’ tyres cool. Secondly, it is believed by many that nitrogen tyres would increase their fuel efficiency. However, it’s not really possible to explain this to every customer who comes to me,” Chandarana elucidates.

Another myth related to nitrogen tyres is that once a tyre is inflated with nitrogen, it needs to be refilled with nitrogen alone in the future. Prajakta Jadhav, a teacher trainer who quit nitrogen tyres, claims she was told that inflating with regular air would damage these tyres. Thus, she shares that when she decided to go back to regular air tyres (because nitrogen was expensive for her), she had to wait till her car’s tyres wore out before she could get new ones and inflate them with regular air.

Almel begs to differ with this theory. He clarifies, “If one of your tyres punctures in an emergency situation where you have no access to nitrogen but only air, you can always refill the punctured tyre with air. As long as the pressure is the same, you can drive a vehicle where one tyre may have nitrogen while another may have regular air.”

Digital inflation
Chandarana happens to see one comforting prospect in inflating tyres with nitrogen. That is, nitrogen is inflated into tyres digitally. With digital inflation, one gets the accurate air pressure for their tyres as opposed to analogue meters, which are not properly calibrated, he enlightens.

Using nitrogen tyres in coastal areas
With this one silver lining, Chandarana wouldn’t mind looking favourably on nitrogen tyres, but only from a geographical point of view. He proposes to use nitrogen tyres if one lives in coastal areas. Explaining why, he tells us, “The air in coastal areas is salted. This results in the tyres’ rims getting rusted because of the salted air. In a scenario like this, the nitrogen machine eliminates these gases and inflates the tyres with nitrogen. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter if your tyres have air or nitrogen; what matters is the accurate air pressure.”

Nitrogen quality
In spite of it all, if an end-user still wishes to go for nitrogen tyres (if not living in a coastal area), then it’s important to make sure that the nitrogen is being supplied by a reputed brand,” Chandarana adds. “Secondly, one should make sure that the environment in which the tyre is being inflated has clean air. This is because with polluted air around, one will not get nitrogen of good quality for their tyres.” Gusain adds that using a nitrogen generator to inflate tyres will have better results. “However, the method to inflate is also important,” he says. “If the fitter tops up in a tyre is already inflated with normal air, then that's the wrong way to go. The right way is to deflate the tyre and remove the residual air before inflating it with nitrogen.”

Speaking of nitrogen quality, Basant Nayar, an Associate Director at a financial services firm and who uses nitrogen tyres, always checks the online reviews and ratings of a tyre shop before visiting it. However, Nayar states that one can’t really judge the nitrogen machine.

Tyre tronics to the rescue
While Nayar checks online reviews for the right tyre shop, Karl Pereira, an entrepreneur and nitrogen tyre user, has been refilling his tyres with nitrogen at the same petrol station for the past 17 years. That’s because his car comes with tyre tronics that show the tyres’ pressure and whether the tyres are fine or not. “Once I have refilled my car’s tyres with nitrogen and checked the pressure, I don’t need to refill them for at least a year, or sometimes more, unless the software tells me that there’s something wrong with them,” Pereira tells us.

Why nitrogen tyres matter
Where there’s a demand, there’s supply. And there certainly seems to be a demand for nitrogen in tyres, even if not everyone is opting for it. However, Gusain is of the opinion that choosing between air or nitrogen depends on the need of the consumer and the usage of tyres. Nitrogen has less than half permeability as compared to normal air, which makes nitrogen inflation last longer. However, it is noteworthy that to get the best results, one must continue to inflate at similar frequencies and not have very long gaps. 

He further informs, “Nitrogen also has other benefits such as less corrosion of steel wheel and tyre components. In fact, if a commercial truck or bus fleets use retreads, then nitrogen inflation becomes even more important. Besides, it is a more sustainable option as it leads to lesser CO₂ emissions. However, it is also the costlier option. So it’s a choice that consumers can make, depending on their preference." Gusain also states that nitrogen inflation is expensive not because of the benefits it offers, but because of the process of using special filters and machines for extraction.

Almel opines that the popularity of the benefits of nitrogen-inflated tyres is being realised by the end-user today. Sunrise Instruments, a manufacturer of nitrogen tyre inflator machines (which act as a filter, separating oxygen and nitrogen), sees clients from tyre shops, petrol stations and dealers from tyre companies like Goodyear, Bridgestone, CEAT and Michelin, Almel tells us. People’s awareness also largely depends on where they choose to inflate their tyres on a regular basis. Well-trained tyre professionals surely educate their customers about the benefits of nitrogen inflation.

Accentuating the expanding market scenario of nitrogen tyres across the world, Almel shares that his company’s nitrogen tyre inflator machines are even exported to UAE and Saudi Arabia. He further points out why nitrogen tyres matter. He posits that being an inert gas, nitrogen does not react. Therefore, there is no reaction with the rubber and metal parts in the tyres. “This extends the tyres’ life,” he goes on to explain. “Additionally, it’s important for the tyre pressure to remain stable as per the vehicle manufacturer’s guideline. This will, in the long run, lead to better fuel mileage, better control of the vehicle and comfort while driving/riding the vehicle. And with nitrogen tyres, the tyre pressure remains stable for a longer period of time, giving you all of this.”

Regular air, on the other hand, contains 21 percent of oxygen, which tends to react and deteriorate the tyre quality, according to Almel. Nitrogen tyres have only 1 percent of other gases and 99 percent of nitrogen itself, which is dry nitrogen.

When asked about the opinion from the other side of the table, Almel avers that if nitrogen hadn’t been important to tyres, then it wouldn’t have been used in aircraft tyres and race car tyres. “And the cars driven on Indian highways are no less than a race car, given their speed,” he puts across. “People have limited time today and are constantly in a rush. These aspects make it important to have nitrogen-inflated tyres in order to have a maintained tyre pressure and to drive safely.”

A subjective choice
Whether a nitrogen tyre works best or an air tyre does, it really comes down to personal experience. Even if not recommended by many, nitrogen tyres do not appear to cause any harm. But our vehicles would be nowhere without tyres (literally), and they certainly are one of the most significant components of our vehicles. If our tyres aren’t right or the pressure has gone wrong, it could endanger a life. Therefore, while one picks a tyre that works best for them, looking at the big picture, it needs to work in every aspect – from cost to convenience to safety. After all, if vehicles can be subjective, why can’t tyres?

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TyresNmore, the automotive aftermarket e-commerce platform owned by RPG Group, has promoted Rakesh Tatikonda to Chief Executive Officer and announced the change with immediate effect.

Tatikonda, who previously oversaw business operations at the Mumbai-based firm, will spearhead the organisation’s expansion and innovation strategy. The appointment advances RPG Group’s ‘Talent First!’ policy, which rewards internal promotions and develops employees.

The new chief executive brings over 15 years of industry experience, having worked across multiple sectors with companies such as telecommunications giant Reliance Jio and IT services provider Infosys. Before joining TyresNmore in 2022, Tatikonda held senior positions at tyre manufacturer CEAT, where he developed expertise in strategy, operations, marketing and digital transformation.

“My aim is to transform automotive aftercare in India by offering seamless, tech-driven, end-to-end mobility solutions delivered with trust, transparency, and convenience right at the customer’s doorstep,” Tatikonda said in a statement.

TyresNmore operates a doorstep service model for tyre and battery replacement across six major Indian cities: Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai. The platform represents RPG Group’s entry into the growing automotive aftermarket sector, which has seen increased digitisation as consumers seek convenient maintenance solutions.

During his tenure in operations, Tatikonda scaled the business and improved profitability while driving digital transformation initiatives. His track record shows he strengthened operational efficiency and enhanced customer experience in the mobility convenience sector.

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Vaculug, Europe’s largest independent retreader producing high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres for fleets across the UK and Europe, has expanded its UK presence by acquiring Tyrefair in Kinross, Scotland.

This strategic acquisition extends the company's award-winning service further north, ensuring Scottish customers receive the same high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres Vaculug has supplied for 75 years. Since the purchase, the Kinross location has already grown by 25 percent, with an ambitious target to double its business within a year and then double it again.

This move is a key part of Vaculug's 2026 growth strategy, focused on strategic acquisitions that enable better, faster and more sustainable customer service. The acquisition reinforces Vaculug’s long-standing environmental mission, marking a new chapter of sustainable growth with a strengthened Scottish operation.

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Nokian Tyres is expanding its US presence through a new nationwide partnership with American Tire Distributors (ATD). This agreement provides Nokian access to ATD’s vast network of over 110 distribution centres, serving roughly 80,000 customers.

The collaboration will efficiently supply tyre shops with Nokian’s complete product lineup, enabling dealers to broaden their inventory. Both companies bring 90 years of experience and a shared dedication to innovation, safety and sustainability. This partnership will offer drivers more choices, supported by Nokian’s award-winning Tennessee factory and ATD’s technology-driven logistics.

This enhanced distribution capability ensures that consumers will have greater access to a full spectrum of high-performance tyres, meeting diverse driving needs and conditions. The alliance strengthens both brands' market positions by combining premium products with an unparalleled delivery system, ultimately improving service for dealers and drivers alike across the country.

Chris Ostrander, SVP, North America, Nokian Tyres, said, “The partnership with ATD enables us to reach more tyre shops and more drivers than ever before. ATD’s robust distribution network, customer service and responsiveness strengthen our agility to serve both new and existing customers.”

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The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has announced a new webinar series designed to advance the circular economy for end-of-life tyres (ELTs) in collaboration with the Tire Recycling Foundation. Titled ‘The Road to 100% Tire Circularity: ELTs Going Full Circle’, the initiative aims to foster the development of scalable and profitable markets for recycled tyres. The series will launch in September 2025 and continue through February 2026.

Hosted by John Sheerin, USTMA’s Senior Director of ELT Programs, each session will convene industry experts, recyclers and state policymakers. Their discussions will focus on the latest research and real-world applications that transform waste tyres into valuable resources, thereby diverting them from landfills and generating environmental, industrial and economic benefits.

The programme will explore three of the most promising markets for end-of-life tyres. It begins on 23 September 2025 with a session on tyre-derived aggregate (TDA), examining its use in civil engineering projects like structural fill and stormwater management. A subsequent webinar on 30 October 2025 will cover the growing market for moulded and extruded products made from recycled rubber.

A significant portion of the series will be dedicated to rubber-modified asphalt (RMA), a material known for creating longer-lasting and more sustainable roadways. An introductory session on 20 November 2025 will review the overall performance and benefits of RMA. This will be followed by two regional deep dives: one on 14 January 2026, focusing on practical applications in Midwestern states like Michigan and Ohio, and another on 28 January 2026, exploring its adoption in Southern states including Kentucky and Georgia. The series will culminate on 24 February 2026 with a capstone session providing a comprehensive overview of grant and funding opportunities available to support the growth of these ELT markets.

This initiative addresses a critical need. While tyres are one of the most recycled products in US, and stockpiles have been reduced by 94 percent over the past three decades, the generation of end-of-life tyres continues to outpace their consumption in recycling markets. The webinar series is presented as a strategic pathway to bridge this gap by promoting innovative and sustainable end-use applications.

Those interested in shaping the future of tyre management are encouraged to register for any or all of the webinars through the USTMA website. Attendees will receive a resource kit after each session to help facilitate further discussion and action.

Anne Forristall Luke, President & CEO, USTMA, said, “We view these webinars as a crucial opportunity to connect key leaders across the country and show them that sustainability and economic growth go hand-in-hand. By showcasing proven applications and providing the tools to act, we can collectively turn ELTs from a waste challenge into an economic engine.”

Sheerin said, “As we look to expand ELT markets and unlock the full environmental and economic potential of end-of-life tyres, collaboration is essential. And no one can do it alone. State DOTs, regulators, recyclers and manufacturers must work together to help grow ELT markets through targeted investment, supportive policy and continued research.”

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  - CNJ SUPPORT September 11, 2025 15:03 PM

  How can we enroll on this Webinar

  Reply