TyreSafe has entered into a partnership with RED Driver Training, one of the UK’s leading driving schools, as its first dedicated driving school supporter.

TyreSafe's goal to increase road safety, especially for new drivers starting their adventures as road users, has reached a major milestone with this partnership. In order to promote lifetime habits that lead to safer roads, TyreSafe hopes to increase its efforts to teach new drivers the value of tyre safety and maintenance by collaborating with RED.

By providing thorough driving instruction throughout the UK through a robust network of RED franchised driving instructors, RED Driver Training plays a crucial part in helping thousands of students annually get their driving licenses. RED offers advanced driving experiences in addition to training, such as their well-liked ‘skidpan’ sessions, which assist new drivers in successfully navigating hazardous situations. In order to guarantee that students have the information and abilities necessary to drive safely and responsibly, they also assist them with a dedicated theory and practical test preparation app.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said “We are thrilled to partner with RED Driver Training, an organisation that shares our commitment to road safety and education. New drivers are at a crucial stage in forming safe driving habits, and through this partnership, we have an incredible opportunity to instil the importance of tyre safety from the very beginning of their journey on the roads. Together, we hope to create a generation of drivers who understand the vital role tyres play in road safety.”

Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing at RED Driver Training, said “At RED, our goal is to equip new drivers with the skills, confidence and knowledge to stay safe on the roads, and tyre safety is an integral part of that. Joining forces with TyreSafe allows us to enhance our offering and emphasise the critical role tyres play in keeping drivers and passengers safe. We’re proud to be TyreSafe’s first driving ‘school’ supporter and look forward to working together to make a real difference. Our ‘Learn to Drive with RED’ app makes us more than just a normal driving school, and in co-operation with TyreSafe, we are keen to explore the creation of collaborative video content and more.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Partnership targets passenger car radial tyres, with new plant planned and joint venture agreement due by 2030.

Balkrishna Industries (BKT), the Indian maker of off-highway tyres, has agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture with Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli to manufacture passenger car tyres in India, as both companies seek to expand their presence in the market.

BKT and Pirelli signed a framework agreement on Thursday setting out the proposed venture’s structure and timelines, alongside separate agreements covering tyre manufacturing and technical support, according to a stock exchange filing by BKT.

The proposed joint venture will manufacture passenger car radial (PCR) tyres under the Pirelli and BKT brands and establish a new manufacturing plant in India. The partners intend to share the venture’s manufacturing capacity equally, with each nominating two directors to a four-member board and the chairmanship rotating between them.

The joint venture agreement is yet to be signed. The companies have agreed to incorporate the venture by December 31 2030, subject to the fulfilment or waiver of specified conditions.

Under an interim offtake agreement, BKT will manufacture Pirelli-branded passenger car tyres at its existing plant in Bhuj, Gujarat, using Pirelli’s specifications and know-how. Pirelli and its affiliates will purchase the tyres, with pricing based on actual raw material costs plus conversion costs. Payments will be made in rupees for domestic supplies and euros for exports.

The agreement includes a minimum annual purchasing commitment from Pirelli, matched by a corresponding capacity commitment from BKT. The arrangement is expected to remain in force until the joint venture becomes operational and can meet Pirelli’s demand. Otherwise, it will continue until December 31 2031, subject to a possible extension by mutual agreement.

The partnership also provides for Pirelli to supply technical support for testing BKT-branded tyres, including products for sport utility vehicles, passenger cars and two-wheelers. The services will use Pirelli’s testing facilities outside India, with BKT paying fees in euros under an agreed pricing schedule.

For Pirelli, which the filing says currently has a commercial presence in India, the venture represents a step towards strengthening its position in a market with growing demand for higher-value tyres. The company reported consolidated revenue of approximately €6.78bn for the year ended December 2025.

For BKT, the agreement offers a route into the passenger car tyre segment beyond its established business, potentially opening opportunities in domestic and international markets.

The agreements also contain restrictions on competing arrangements. While the framework agreement remains in force, neither company may enter a joint venture or similar arrangement with a third party in India to manufacture car, light truck, motorcycle or bicycle tyres, although wholly owned plants are excluded. Under the offtake agreement, BKT cannot manufacture comparable or competing passenger car tyres for third parties, but remains free to develop and sell its own BKT-branded products.

The proposed joint venture’s completion remains subject to the conditions specified in the agreements. The companies have not disclosed a financial value for the transaction or the proposed plant’s investment cost in the filing.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. is set to appear at the IRC2026 AICHI Rubber & Elastomer Technical Exhibition, a four-day gathering running 3–6 November at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture. Held in tandem with the International Rubber Conference 2026, which convenes rubber and elastomer scientists and engineers from across the globe, the event carries the theme ‘Future Rubber Technology toward Sustainability’.

Yokohama Rubber's own display, billed as ‘Yokohama's Technology Supporting a Sustainable Society’, will spotlight innovations embedded in tyres and industrial goods that tackle societal challenges through diminished environmental footprints, stronger safety and cost efficiency and lighter labour burdens.

On the tyre front, visitors will encounter the iceGUARD 8 for passenger cars and the newly launched iceGUARD 8 SUV, introduced in September. Explanations will cover the tread patterns and the AQUA BUSTER naturally derived, highly absorbent compound responsible for grip on frozen roads. Racing fans will note ADVAN tyres built from renewable and recycled feedstocks and supplied to Japan's SUPER FORMULA Championship, alongside a BluEarth-GT AE51 prototype incorporating biomass-derived butadiene rubber. The company will also outline R&D balancing performance retention with greater sustainable material uptake and reduced petroleum dependence in synthetic rubber.

Industrial offerings include the Smart Belt, a conveyor belt carrying embedded RFID tags, together with maintenance support services that harvest wear and temperature readings to recommend upkeep approaches and belt specs matched to operating conditions – enhancing safety while trimming inspection and maintenance effort. Cutaway samples will reveal automotive air-conditioning hose construction using lightweight resin liquid piping and marine hose architecture underpinning safe seaborne crude and petroleum product transport.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Pirelli has confirmed its tyre compound choices for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, selecting the C2 as Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft. This marks a return to a familiar combination after the 2025 experiment that introduced an additional step between the Hard and Medium compounds. Last year the C1 served as the hardest available tyre but was unused in the race, with teams preferring one-stop strategies built around the softer C3 and C4 options. The Austin round opens a triple-header on the American continent that also includes Mexico City and São Paulo, and it stands as the second of three United States-based events this season ahead of Las Vegas.

The weekend reverts to the traditional format without a Sprint, giving teams three free practice sessions to refine car balance and set-ups on a circuit that does not demand extreme compromises. The 5.513-kilometre COTA layout blends high-speed corners, rapid direction changes and slower sections requiring strong traction, so competitiveness depends on pairing straight-line speed with efficient aerodynamic load through technical passages. From a tyre perspective, the track loads both axles: the fast corners of the first sector stress the front tyres, while the acceleration zones out of slow corners in the third sector generate thermal degradation primarily at the rear.

The asphalt is not especially abrasive, and a section between Turns 9 and 11 was resurfaced earlier this year, though ageing across the remainder of the circuit contributes to significant wear. Tyre wear rather than graining could therefore prove decisive, as several tyres reached very high wear values at last year's event. Strategically, the C2 Hard could favour long stints in what is likely a one-stop race, though typically high Texan temperatures may increase degradation and open alternative approaches. Medium-Soft was last year's most popular strategy, used by 13 drivers, with Charles Leclerc the lone podium finisher to start on Softs.

Austin has hosted the United States Grand Prix 13 times, though the event's total history spans 46 editions across six circuits; Lewis Hamilton leads with six victories, one shy of Michael Schumacher's record, and Ferrari holds the constructors' mark with 11 wins. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America season, supplied by Pirelli for the first time, concludes at COTA during the Grand Prix weekend, with Tyler Maxson leading the Mobil Pro standings by 27 points after Road Atlanta, though Aaron Jeansonne remains in contention with two races and bonus points available. Pirelli Design has also created a special podium cap by designer Denis Dekovic, featuring a star pattern inspired by the American flag alongside cacti and rattlesnakes as Texan desert symbols.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

TyreSafe, UK’s leading tyre safety charity, has forged a new alliance with Donna Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, as part of its ongoing drive to strengthen road safety and curb tyre-related incidents nationwide. The partnership reflects the organisation's wider commitment to working with policing and other stakeholders to reduce preventable harm on UK roads.

Jones has placed road safety at the heart of her agenda, prioritising action against dangerous driving, tougher enforcement and a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on local roads. The scale of the challenge is clear from figures covering October 2024 to September 2025, during which 1,286 people were killed or seriously injured across the two areas. A dedicated Roads Policing Tasking Team, unveiled by Jones in March 2026, now targets dangerous driving and high-risk collision hotspots, focusing on the Fatal Five: speeding, drink and drug driving, mobile phone use, seatbelt non-compliance and careless driving.

In TyreSafe's view, illegal and badly maintained tyres – alongside general vehicle upkeep – deserve greater prominence within a joined-up road safety strategy that builds on existing enforcement and education programmes. The partnership opens the door to joint work between TyreSafe and the Commissioner's office on raising public awareness, encouraging responsible driving and supporting efforts to prevent avoidable road incidents. It also highlights how enforcement, education and prevention can work together, helping motorists recognise their obligations and the serious risks posed by unsafe tyres.

Crime prevention and making Hampshire and the Isle of Wight among the safest places to live nationally have also been flagged as priorities by the Commissioner. TyreSafe intends to use the partnership to back broader road safety work in the region while deepening its collaboration with policing and other stakeholders across the country, all in support of its Vision Zero goal of eliminating harm to road users caused by illegal and poorly maintained tyres.

Jones said, “Tyre safety is an essential part of keeping our roads safe. Illegal and poorly maintained tyres can put drivers, passengers and other road users at serious risk, and it is important that we do more to raise awareness of these dangers. I welcome the opportunity to work with TyreSafe to help educate drivers, encourage regular tyre checks and support efforts to prevent avoidable collisions. By working together on education, prevention and enforcement, we can help make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s roads safer for everyone.”

Stuart Lovatt, Chairman, TyreSafe, said, “Working with police forces and Police and Crime Commissioners is an important part of our ambition to reduce tyre-related incidents and make our roads safer. Our four strategic goals set out the changes we believe are needed, from improving enforcement and driver education to strengthening the evidence available to policymakers. We welcome the opportunity to work with Donna Jones and her team to explore how we can support greater awareness of tyre safety and encourage practical action to address the risks posed by illegal and poorly maintained tyres.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!