The huge volume of data that can be collected from tyres is beyond most people’s comprehension, especially when most don’t even know they should be checking the tyre inflation pressures on a regular basis.

Tyre technology is advancing at an ever increasing rate. The demands of consumers on the products our industry produce are changing as vehicles evolve. The advent of electric vehicles (EV) has placed a series of demands on tyres that have not been previously experienced.

How will hydrogen-powered vehicles (HPV) vary from the EV requirements is an answer yet to be found. The intrusion of artificial intelligence (AI) into daily life is permeating faster than most can appreciate, and tyres are no different.

The huge volume of data that can be collected from tyres is beyond most people’s comprehension, especially when most don’t even know they should be checking the tyre inflation pressures on a regular basis.

Early Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) generate reams of data. The systems used on F1 (Formula 1) cars and MotoGP bikes generate huge volumes, which is used to assist control of the vehicle. An example was relayed to me some years ago by a Moto2 race engineer who mentioned that when slip-streaming a bike (following literally nose to tail), it was observed that the temperature of the front tyre rose by up to five degrees

Celsius. I observe some of the artistic renditions of futuristic trucks and cars where tyres are completely enclosed by bodywork, ostensibly to aid aerodynamics. If the tyres don’t have a stream of cooling air, how do they dissipate the heat that is generated by the hysteresis a tyre experiences during operation? It is evident to me that many fall victim to what I call the Rumsfeld Rule; they don’t know what they don’t know, and worse still, they don’t know that they don’t know.

This could also be called the ‘First Rule of Tyre Technology’, just as I was taught the first law of computing, GIGO. If you have to ask, then you’re already a victim. The vast majority of the population don’t know much about tyres except that when they are flat, it’s a pain.

The fact that they entrust their lives to the humble servant we know as tyres on a daily basis without the basic knowledge is a serious concern to me. In the headlong race into technology, we’ve forgotten to bring the people along with us.

Social media is an example where most, nearly everyone, wants the fruit without having to prepare the soil, then grow the tree until it flowers, then wait for the fruit. ‘I want it now, I want it yesterday and stay tuned because the demands will all change’ (thanks Billy Connolly!) is all too common. The insidious outcome of this media is the ownership of the data, of what you buy, use, view, listen to, eat, where you visit is no longer yours. It is the big corporates that now own your data.

What does this have to do with tyres, I understand you ask. The humble tyre conveys us through our daily travels. It experiences a lot more than we do in that we don’t tread the pavements, or get hot or wet or get bounced over potholes on the road. The array of sensors now being developed for tyres are becoming the control centre of the automotive conveyances, be they fossil-fuelled, EV or HPVs.

What the tyre experiences is transferred into the vehicles control systems, which are then able to direct the motive forces to be applied at the appropriate rate. There is little use in having more brakes than there is traction available; that only results in a brake lock up, which destroys tyres and often results in a loss of control. ABS brakes are a prime defence of tyre lock ups. The tyre can collect the data which can determine your driving style, not only the route you have taken or the load you carry. So the automotive manufacturers will be able to use this data to tailor their solutions to you just as the social media concerns use algorithms to target content to you.

What is not quite as obvious as the data collection aspects is the environmental results of tyre use. Just as there are many unseen outcomes as a result of social media, there are outcomes that are largely unseen involved with tyre manufacture and use.

We go into a tyre shop to purchase tyres; it’s clean and bright or dark and dingy as a traditional tyre outlet or maybe something in-between. This experience tells us zero about how the tyre came into being and how it was landed in the store where you are purchasing it. The deeply technical and diverse agglomerations that are required to produce a tyre range from growing a tree (remember the fruit?) or drilling deep wells for oil, the mining of iron and other minerals to the production of complex chemical compounds used to create the rubbers.

The technology required to produce the single most complex item on today’s automotive machines is largely forgotten when standing in front of a range of tyres on offer. Unfortunately, a purchasing decision may be as basic as ‘what is the cheapest you have’ or preferably ‘what is the safest tyre you have’. As an industry, we’ve forgotten to educate the buying public on why a safe tyre is the item we should be purchasing. The race to the bottom to have low-cost items has yielded more than just cheap prices and substandard products.

Like most industries, there is a legacy of unwanted results; yes, the demise of discussion now we are staying glued to our phones instead of conversing.

Rubber, by its very nature, is a resilient compound that endures the abuse we throw at it when used as a tyre. Think about this for a moment: you purchase a new vehicle fitted with quality tyres, which we all know will be worn out when the tread is down to the tread depth indicators. What happens to the rubber that has worn away? Do you think about it? For those unfamiliar with on road motorsport such as F1 or MotoGP, you may not have heard of the term ‘tyre marbles’. These are chunks of the very sticky soft compound rubbers on tyres that are used for ultimate traction on a road circuit.

The marbles on a road racing circuit are quite obvious and are at the opposite end of the spectrum to the rubber particulates left on our streets and roads as our daily drives pass by. These rubber particulates (P2.5 is the smallest measurable in today’s systems) are particularly insidious as they permeate our environment.

The rubber dust is washed from the pavements when there is rain, dispersed through the drainage systems and then mixed into the outfall, be that a river and then ocean.

Dry dust particulates are dispersed by the winds into the soils. Microplastics ingress is a rising issue. Our technology (as an industry) is found wanting when the environmental aspects of product use is examined. No, I don’t have any answers except to consider magnetic levitation (which is feasible with examples operating) or matter transportation, which is off the planet for me. I raise the topic for consideration within the context of tyre technology. There is an immediate requirement for the recycling of tyres. Such projects, where the carbon black makes up about 40 percent of the recycling project product stream, seem to be an issue but are potentially feasible.

Tyres can be reused by retreading or repurposed in other manners; however, until the general public accept that tyres are more than a grudge purchase, then all the technology is only leading us further into the abyss.

Our industry needs the same energies as are applied to the technology employed to be used in education of our end users so they can grow to appreciate tyres just as we in the industry already do. As fire is a wonderful servant but a bad master, tyres too are wonderful servants but have serious outcomes if we continue to ignore them. Education is required. More technology is not necessarily the best answer.

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Bridgestone India announced the winners of the 5th Edition of its Mobility Social Impact Awards (MSIA) 2025 in Pune, celebrating organisations that use mobility for social good.

The top honour in the Road Safety Innovation and Excellence category went to ALERT (Amenity Lifeline Emergency Response Team) from Chennai for empowering over 450,000 citizens with emergency response skills. Safety Research Foundation (SRF), based in Pune, received a Jury Commendation for its BRACE Project, which transforms school zones with safety audits and infrastructure upgrades.

In the Empowerment of Vulnerable Communities category, The Association of People with Disability (APD), Bengaluru, won the top honour for its Rehab on Wheels initiative, which provides last-mile rehabilitation services.

The winners were presented with their awards by social worker Dr. Girish Kulkarni, founder of Snehalaya.

Hiroshi Yoshizane, Group President, Bridgestone Asia Pacific and Managing Director, Bridgestone India, said: “It is a privilege to honour these changemakers who are redefining mobility for social good. Their work reflects our shared commitment to building inclusive, safe, and empowered communities.”

Jeya Padmanaban, Founding Trustee, Safety Research Foundation (SRF), said, “We are truly honoured to receive the Jury Commendation at the Bridgestone Mobility Social Impact Awards 2025. The BRACE Project reflects our belief that road safety must begin at the community level, where awareness and infrastructure meet action. This recognition strengthens our resolve to continue building safer environments for children and fostering a culture of responsibility and care on our roads.”

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Linglong Tire has announced the promotion of Alessio Iacovelli to Deputy Director of Replacement Sales for Western Europe, effective 1 September 2025. In this elevated role, Iacovelli will take on leadership of the regional sales team with a mandate to accelerate business development. His key objectives will include forging strategic alliances and implementing programmes to strengthen customer loyalty. Iacovelli will report directly to Lisa Zhao, the Director of Replacement Sales for Western Europe, and will collaborate with her to manage key markets, including Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain.

Iacovelli, who began his career with Goodyear and Nexen, first joined Linglong Tire at the end of 2022 as a Sales Manager. In that capacity, he demonstrated significant success in developing the Southern European aftermarket, where he expanded the brand's footprint, defined effective growth strategies and secured robust partnerships with distributors. This strategic appointment and the restructuring of the sales leadership underscore Linglong Tire's intensified focus on achieving its ambitious growth targets across the European continent.

Iacovelli said, "I am very pleased to have been promoted to Deputy Director Replacement Sales West Europe at Linglong Tire. We have fantastic products such as the Sport Master 4S and the Sport Master Winter, both successfully tested in the recently published tyre tests. We have a state-of-the-art development centre in Germany and a new tyre plant in Europe and are successful in original equipment – ideal conditions for achieving our ambitious goals together with my team and the colleagues in Hannover and continuing to grow, especially in Europe."

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German synthetic rubber maker ARLANXEO has launched consultations with worker representatives over the potential closure of its Port Jerome facility in France, citing persistent weak demand and declining competitiveness in the European chemicals industry.

The company, which is majority-owned by Saudi Aramco, had begun an information and consultation period with the Works Council at the site, located in northern France. A final decision on the closure will be taken after the mandatory consultation process concludes and approval is obtained from the French labour authorities, DREETS.

“The European chemical industry continues to face persistent weak demand and declining competitiveness driven by rising costs, unbalanced global markets, and increased regulatory pressure,” said Stephan van Santbrink, ARLANXEO chief executive.

“These conditions have generated a significant burden on the sector across the regional value chain. ARLANXEO has not been an exception to these challenges. The Port Jerome site has remained in a structurally loss-making position. Despite numerous improvement efforts, we do not foresee a viable path to a sustained structural improvement.”

The company did not disclose how many jobs would be affected by a potential closure, nor did it provide details on the facility’s production capacity or annual output.

Van Santbrink acknowledged the impact on workers, saying: “We recognise the impact a potential closure may have on our employees, and we regret the need to consider these steps. We will continue to treat all employees with respect. If we decide to cease operations at the site, we will do our utmost to assist in finding alternative solutions for all impacted employees. In addition, we intend to provide impacted employees with a social plan which reflects their valued contribution to ARLANXEO.”

The announcement adds to a growing list of European chemical producers struggling with high energy costs, sluggish demand and competition from lower-cost producers in Asia and the United States.

ARLANXEO said it would work closely with all affected internal and external stakeholders to minimise the impact of the intended closure.

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Continental's Tires group sector has strengthened its leadership team with two key internal appointments, effective 1 September 2025. Jana Striezel has been named the new head of global purchasing for Continental Tires, while Dennis Bellmund has assumed leadership of the global original equipment business for both passenger and commercial vehicles. Both executives will report directly to Christian Kötz, the member of Continental AG's Executive Board who leads the Tires group sector.

In her new capacity, Striezel will oversee worldwide strategic and operational purchasing. She brings extensive experience from the automotive industry, having previously held several procurement management roles at Renault, where she led purchasing for the Renault brand and its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi in Europe. Her career began at Volkswagen in 2014.

Bellmund, who has a 25-year tenure with Continental, steps into his role following the departure of his predecessor, Manja Greimeier, to the ContiTech sector. His extensive background within the company includes recent responsibility for Continental’s tyre retail operations, alongside prior leadership roles in EMEA supply chain management and sales direction for the European replacement tyre business. These appointments signal a strategic reinforcement of Continental's tyre division leadership.

Kötz said, “We’re delighted to welcome Jana Striezel, a highly skilled manager, to our team. She brings extensive expertise in international procurement and will focus on driving forward our purchasing strategy. In Dennis Bellmund, our global original equipment business has gained a highly experienced leader. Thanks to his many years at Continental, he is familiar with our company and our customers’ needs from many different angles. On behalf of the entire management team, I wish both of them every success in their new roles and look forward to working together.”

“On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank Manja Greimeier for her successful leadership of our original equipment business and wish her all the best and continued success,” added Kötz.

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