Apollo Tyres Ltd has launched the Vredestein Superpasso Pro competition-ready road bicycle tyres. This is the first model in the company’s all-new range of high-performance bicycle tyres scheduled for launch throughout the coming year.

The Superpasso Pro was developed using Apollo Tyres' cutting-edge ‘TriComp’ technology in Europe, which combines several rubber compositions for the tread and sidewall to maximise rolling resistance, puncture prevention and traction in both wet and dry situations. While the tyre's shoulder is composed of a softer composition to improve cornering grip at all speeds, the centre of the tread features a tougher compound to reduce rolling resistance and to prevent penetration. The new Superpasso Pro achieves a 14 percent improvement in rolling resistance, a 23 percent increase in puncture resistance and an eight percent weight reduction when compared to its Vredestein predecessor.

For TLR tyres, the new ‘Active Control’ technology offers a novel design that substitutes a bridging gap for the conventional overlapping centre join. Because of this development, the tyre is lighter and quicker, offering better control, better feedback and unwavering comfort. In order to increase puncture resistance and provide consumers the assurance that they can go farther, the Vredestein tyre also has a reinforced breaker layer. As part of a business collaboration with Apollo Tyres, the Dutch professional cycling team BEAT Cycling Club has put the Superpasso Pro through a rigorous testing process. Three sizes of the new Vredestein tyre are available: 700x25C, 700x28C and 700x32C. Both tubeless-ready (TLR) and tube type choices are available.

Nic Knippers, Division Head – Vredestein Two Wheel Tyres, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The Superpasso Pro represents a significant leap forward in tyre technology, offering cyclists a product that excels in both performance and durability. With its innovative design and advanced materials, it delivers unmatched speed, comfort and reliability for cyclists of all levels.”

Thijs Zonneveld, Sportive Director, BEAT Cycling Club, said, “As a team that consistently pushes the limits of performance, we’ve been thoroughly impressed by the Superpasso Pro. The advancements in rolling efficiency, grip and durability have been evident in both race-day conditions and intense training sessions, and we’re excited to continue using it in competition.”

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The Tire Industry Project (TIP) has opened registration for its 2026 Tire Emissions Research Conference, scheduled for 8 to 10 December 2026 at the University of Cambridge in England. The event continues a series that began with successful gatherings in Munich in 2024 and Boston in 2025.

Building on prior editions, the 2026 conference maintains an exclusive focus on scientific research into tyre emissions and actionable countermeasures. This emphasis responds to rising global concern over tyre wear pollution, with organisers believing that progress depends on open knowledge exchange, multi-stakeholder collaboration and harmonised scientific methods.

The agenda covers the full scope of the issue, including tyre and road emission generation, environmental distribution and fate, ecological behaviour and impact, design alternatives and civil engineering or environmental practices for mitigating tyre and road wear particles and related chemicals. Participants range from scientists and industry practitioners to policymakers and experts in environmental and materials science.

Held at Jesus College within the prestigious University of Cambridge, the conference follows the tradition of partnering with world-class institutions such as the Technical University of Munich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Abstract submissions are due by 29 May 2026, with further details and registration available on the event website.

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Kumho Tire has confirmed its participation at The Tire Cologne 2026, the world’s leading tyre exhibition, taking place in Cologne, Germany, from 9 to 11 June. The South Korean manufacturer will present key products at Hall 6.0, Stand B030 C039, including summer, winter, all-season and truck and bus tyres. The event is the largest and most prestigious global gathering for the tyre industry.

Under the theme ‘Innovation to Build the Future’, Kumho Tire will introduce its latest advancements and intelligent solutions for future mobility. The company aims to demonstrate technological excellence in stability and performance across driving conditions. Featured products include summer tyres such as the ECSTA SPORT S, ECSTA SPORT and ECSTA HS52, along with the winter tyre WinterCRAFT WP52+. Both ECSTA SPORT models are ultra-high-performance tyres gaining strong traction in the European market.

The WinterCRAFT WP52+, developed for European conditions, ranked third out of 51 entries in Auto Bild’s 2025 winter tyre test, earning an ‘Exemplary’ rating. Kumho Tire will also showcase MARSHAL brand products including the MU12, MH15 and MH22. The MU12 delivers stable handling, grip, braking and cornering at high speeds, as MARSHAL strengthens its global position combining performance with value.

Additional displays include the SOLUS HA32, WinterCRAFT ICE WI32, WI52, PorTran 4S CX11 and concept tyres Volume and Origami. Kumho Tire will invite key European customers for business meetings to explore partnerships, aiming to communicate its future vision, deepen engagement and expand its global footprint.

Tony Gangseung Lee, Head of Europe at Kumho Tire, said, “This exhibition presents a valuable opportunity to showcase our key products at the world’s largest tire event. We will leverage this platform to reinforce our position as a sustainable, future-oriented smart mobility partner and accelerate our transformation into a global premium brand.”

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JK Tyre & Industries has indicated another 5–6 percent price hike across replacement market product categories due escalating raw material costs continue to pressure margins.

Speaking during the company’s Q4 and FY26 earnings interaction, Chairman and Managing Director Dr Raghupati Singhania said the ongoing West Asia crisis had disrupted global supply chains, resulting in higher crude oil, commodity and logistics costs.

The company expects raw material costs to rise by 15–20 percent in the first quarter of FY27, with crude-linked inputs and rupee depreciation further adding to cost pressures.

“To mitigate raw material price increases and sustain profitability margins, we have started increasing selling prices in a staggered manner,” Singhania said.

He noted that while a 4–5 per cent increase had already been implemented in replacement markets, further hikes of around 5–6 per cent were under consideration. OEM price revisions, however, would follow with a lag due to contractual indexation mechanisms.

Apart from higher raw material costs, the company said export operations had also been affected by disruptions in shipping routes, container shortages and elevated freight charges.

To minimise supply risks, JK Tyre has shifted a part of its sourcing strategy towards eastern markets, including Taiwan, South Korea and China, deploying technical teams to approve alternate raw material supplies more quickly.

Despite near-term cost pressures, the company maintained that underlying demand remains strong and expects healthy growth momentum to continue in FY27, particularly in OEM and replacement tyre segments.

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Triangle Tyre has received official certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its newly developed civil aviation radial tyres. The approval, granted on 11 May 2026, followed the product’s successful completion of rigorous technical evaluations and was formalised through the issuance of a Technical Standard Order Authorization, or CTSOA.

This authorisation serves as the CAAC’s formal recognition of a manufacturer’s design and production capabilities for aviation components. Acquiring the CTSOA confirms that Triangle Tyre has met all conformity standards, granting the company the legal right to manufacture and label its certified products with official identification numbers.

The certification applies to four specific tyre part numbers designed for major aircraft platforms, including China’s domestically produced C919 large passenger jet and the Airbus A320. Aviation tyres are considered critical safety components and are subject to some of the most demanding approval processes in the aerospace sector.

To earn the CTSOA, Triangle Tyre’s products underwent extensive on-site oversight and a battery of evaluations, including static load, high-speed rolling and extreme-temperature tests. The company demonstrated exceptional proficiency in materials science, engineering design, manufacturing processes and quality control, all of which were verified by the regulator.

Triangle Tyre began tackling the technical challenges of aviation radial tyres in 2017, aiming to break foreign monopolies. The company has since developed proprietary framework materials, structural designs and production equipment, establishing an independent technology platform and an airworthiness-compliant quality system.

With over 50 years of experience in tyre manufacturing, Triangle Tyre has now reinforced its position in the high-end market. The CTSOA achievement strengthens supply chain security for China’s aviation industry and follows years of collaboration with COMAC, including the 2020 milestone where its tyre became the first domestic civil aviation radial product to pass dynamic simulation testing.

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