Bridgestone India has expanded its Flagship Select Store network with the opening of four new Select outlets in Hyderabad. With these new outlets, the company has taken its tally of stores in Hyderabad to 46 with an aim to transform the tyre buying and servicing experience by addressing the evolving needs of Indian consumers.

The Bridgestone Select Stores, which are supported by a robust premium network, offer an engaging and instructive experience that enables consumers to choose tyres with knowledge. To assist consumers get the most out of their tyres, the business also gives demos so they can see the impact that each service offers. At the moment, Bridgestone has a strong dealer network of 3,200, which includes 820 Bridgestone Select stores in India. Bridgestone India operates a few select storefronts in important cities including New Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bangalore, Kolhapur, Chennai and Hyderabad. The Select shops are designed to address a long-standing demand for a more intelligent tyre retail structure.

Hiroshi Yoshizane, Managing Director, Bridgestone India, said, “Hyderabad is an important market for us, and we’re proud to expand this pioneering concept of Select stores in the city. Bridgestone is committed to provide superior products and services to customers in line with its mission of serving society with superior quality. At Bridgestone, we’ve consistently led in enhancing customer experience, and these stores will help customers in Hyderabad to make informed tyre choices tailored to their needs. It also offers our dealers a unique, differentiated format to drive more walk-ins. As tyres are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road, the store is designed to offer customers premium products, services and an elevated buying experience through its exclusive network.”

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Sun Auto Tire & Service has entered a strategic partnership with Interstate Batteries, designating the company as the primary battery provider for the Sun Auto Network. The announcement marks a significant development for one of United States’ largest independent automotive service providers.

Operating over 600 locations across 27 states, the Sun Auto Network encompasses more than 70 local and regional automotive service brands. This partnership represents another step in Sun Auto's ongoing efforts to strengthen operations and enhance customer experience through leading category partners.

Interstate Batteries, a battery specialist with national scale and strong consumer awareness, brings dedicated category expertise, marketing resources and nationwide support to the network. The company's products are now available at Sun Auto locations nationwide, combining Sun Auto's growing service footprint with Interstate's specialised expertise and distribution capabilities to create greater consistency in product availability, promotions and warranty support.

With over 70 years of industry presence, Interstate Batteries is recognised as one of North America's most trusted consumer battery brands. Sun Auto locations will support Interstate's warranty coverage, offering customers convenient access to warranty service across the network. The partnership advances Sun Auto's broader strategy of leveraging national network strength to improve products, resources and support for its local brands.

Tony Puckett, Chief Executive Officer, Sun Auto Network, said, "As we grow the Sun Auto Network, we're continually looking for ways to use our scale to make our local brands stronger and deliver more value to our customers. That means aligning with partners who bring deep expertise in their category and can support us consistently across the country. Interstate Batteries brings a trusted brand, specialised battery expertise and nationwide capabilities that make them a strong fit for our network and the customers we serve."

Lain Hancock, President and Chief Executive Officer, Interstate Batteries, said, "Interstate Batteries is proud to partner with Sun Auto Network and serve one of the nation's largest automotive service networks. Sun Auto's scale, customer-first approach and commitment to excellence make them an ideal partner. This agreement creates an exciting opportunity to support more than 600 locations operating under trusted local brands while ensuring drivers have access to dependable battery solutions wherever they travel."

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Lassa Tyres has launched its new Snoways 5 and Competus Winter 3 winter tyres to address shifting demands across passenger car and SUV markets. Both products carry the company's EV Ready designation, confirming their compatibility with electric, hybrid and conventional vehicles. The Snoways 5 has additionally secured the TÜV Performance Mark, recognising its strength in key winter and wet handling criteria.

Designed for improved control on snowy and wet surfaces with enduring performance, the Snoways 5 surpasses its predecessor in snow, wet and wear results, as verified by independent TÜV testing. It also improves its rolling resistance label by one grade, cutting energy loss for more efficient driving. TÜV SÜD testing found measurable gains over the competitor average in snow acceleration, snow braking, lateral snow grip, aquaplaning, wet braking and lateral wet grip, alongside lower rolling resistance. Notable improvements include roughly 4 percent better aquaplaning and 3 percent gains in both snow acceleration and lateral snow grip.

The Competus Winter 3 brings this winter design to SUVs, tailoring the Snoways 5 pattern and technologies for larger, heavier vehicles. It offers assured braking and controlled handling on snow and wet roads, with next-generation winter technology delivering stronger snow and wet performance plus greater fuel efficiency. Its EV-Ready construction suits electric and hybrid SUVs while keeping drivers confident throughout winter.

Lassa has expanded its winter range in response to growing demand for larger rim sizes. Snoways 5 comes in 46 sizes spanning 15 to 21 inches, while Competus Winter 3 offers 42 sizes from 16 to 21 inches. This brings European passenger car and SUV winter fitment coverage to 84 percent, with 18-inch and larger fitments reaching 75 percent. Both tyres will launch across Lassa markets for the 2026 winter season.

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New research findings from a doctoral dissertation by Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Bogdahn examine how end-of-life tyres can yield high-quality recovered carbon black (rCB) through pyrolysis while delivering substantial environmental benefits. The work, titled ‘Production and Environmental Assessment of High-Quality Carbonaceous Materials from End-of-Life Tyre Pyrolysis’, was presented in condensed form at an AZuR Chemical Recycling Project Group meeting in Dillingen/Saar on 1 October 2026.

The dissertation tackles how end-of-life tyres can be recovered and recycled to maximise their value. Pyrolysis is identified as a complementary technology that helps close recycling gaps in the circular economy and offers an alternative to fossil-based carbon black, a material that plays a crucial role in determining tyre properties.

In the pyrolysis process, rubber granules from processed tyres undergo thermal decomposition without oxygen, producing three main streams: solid rCB, tyre pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis gas. Previous evaluations of such technologies often separated technical and environmental perspectives, relied on secondary data and lacked standardised methodologies, making findings difficult to compare.

Image credit: Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Bogdahn

Bogdahn overcomes these limitations by integrating a technology-specific process model with a detailed life cycle assessment model. This combination enables a scientifically robust environmental evaluation of pyrolysis and its secondary raw materials using reliable primary data. A central component is a process model that mathematically describes material conversion by combining reaction kinetics, reactor behaviour and mass and energy balances.

Starting with laboratory-scale experiments, the model was scaled up and validated using a pilot-scale rotary kiln at the Institute of TH Köln. Comprehensive laboratory analyses of feedstocks and products supported development and validation. Optimal conditions for the investigated system were found at 650 degrees Celsius with a residence time of about one hour, achieving complete material conversion and high-quality recovered carbon black. Product distribution was roughly 40 percent rCB, 37 percent TPO and 23 percent pyrolysis gas by weight.

Image credit: Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Bogdahn

Using validated primary data, Bogdahn conducted a comprehensive environmental assessment and developed a methodological matrix covering relevant standards and guidelines to address inconsistent approaches. In the rotary kiln baseline scenario, one metric tonne of recovered carbon black results in a global warming potential over 100 years of about 918 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide equivalents, compared with the International Carbon Black Association’s global industry average of 3,910 kilogrammes for conventional fossil-based carbon black, a reduction of approximately 77 percent. Even after a quality adjustment for lower carbon content, the reduction remains about 70 percent. The study followed ISO 14067 and underwent independent external critical review under ISO 14071, also covering TPO and sustainable carbon black.

Further improvements remain possible. Emissions mainly stem from electricity consumption and gas combustion, with rCB processing accounting for about 44 percent, pyrolysis gas cleaning and combustion about 36 percent and tyre shredding about 19 percent. Sensitivity analysis confirms that renewable electricity offers substantial additional greenhouse gas reductions, reinforcing that a circular economy achieves genuine sustainability only when powered by renewable energy. Enhancing material quality through demineralisation and activation could enable higher substitution rates for fossil-based carbon black.

Image credit: Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Bogdahn

A central conclusion extends beyond pyrolysis itself. Raw materials, tyre manufacturing, the use phase and recovery pathways form an interconnected system spanning the entire tyre life cycle, closely linked to the carbon black, chemical, steel and energy sectors. Achieving circularity requires collaboration across systems and industries, along with greater methodological harmonisation and stronger integration of industrial value chains. The AZuR network’s work reflects this need, recognising that extended tyre use, repair, regrooving, retreading, mechanical recycling and appropriate chemical recycling must all function as interconnected elements of the value chain.

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Tyres Europe, as part of a coalition of 10 European associations representing consumers and automotive and mobility service providers, has issued a joint press release welcoming the latest CARUSO Connected Vehicle Field Test assessing the EU Data Act’s implementation across 29 major vehicle manufacturer groups. The findings confirm the legislation established important principles for accessing vehicle-generated data and encouraged some manufacturers to engage for the first time. One year on, however, the framework remains insufficient alone to enable a competitive, innovative connected mobility market.

Covering 15 automotive use cases across 28 vehicle manufacturer groups, the study concludes that while data access has improved, conditions for competitive, scalable, multi-brand services are still lacking. Access remains fragmented, inconsistent and often commercially or technically impractical across the car parc. Limited third-party access, differences in data scope, quality and coverage, and restrictive commercial terms continue to undermine the business case for innovative services. Genuine multi-brand development remains unattainable, preventing consumers and businesses from fully benefiting from connected mobility.

For many manufacturers, implementation has become a compliance exercise rather than a genuine effort to enable market access. Independent providers face limited datasets, restrictive terms, manual approvals, manufacturer-specific consent mechanisms and inconsistent technical solutions. Such approaches may satisfy the Data Act’s broadly defined obligations but are incompatible with the real-time, automated access modern digital services require.

Strong enforcement matters. Manufacturers respond faster where national authorities investigate complaints and apply enforcement mechanisms. Without consistent, harmonised, proactive enforcement across the European Union, Data Act rights risk remaining largely theoretical for a significant share of Europe’s vehicle fleet.

The coalition urges European Union institutions and Member States to enforce the Data Act consistently, issue clear guidance on fair, reasonable and cost-based compensation and use forthcoming reviews to reinforce rather than weaken it. Dedicated automotive legislation should establish common access conditions, interoperability requirements, initial technical and data delivery standards and safeguards against discrimination. Effective access must cover vehicle-generated data and the in-vehicle functions and resources needed to develop, scale and deliver digital mobility services, enabling fair competition, growth and investment.

According to the coalition, the Data Act was an important first step, but horizontal legislation alone cannot create a workable multi-brand market. Implementation varies widely: of 28 manufacturers, nine (32 percent) have barely implemented the Act; 18 (64 percent) lack adequate third-party pricing; 18 (64 percent) lack adequate data provision; and 19 (68 percent) lack an adequate API solution. Sixteen manufacturers (57 percent) enable none of the use cases, while only nine support the most feasible ones. Without stronger enforcement and dedicated automotive legislation, Europe will fall short of its innovation, consumer choice and fair competition ambitions.

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