. Improvements in tread performance, rolling resistance reduction, handling, and durability have been well documented. As vehicles have evolved over the past 20 years, tyres have had to adjust along with them. Larger vehicles, higher performing vehicles, and light-weighting, along with the introduction of electric vehicle technology, are all trends that have steered development over the years.

Through all of it, several key areas in tyre testing have remained steady. Tyres need to meet minimum safety and performance standards as dictated by governments and vehicle OEMs.

•          Tyre durability testing depends on a variety of industry test standards such as endurance testing on a drum.

•          Wet stopping distance, tread wear, and winter traction testing have very specific on-vehicle testing requirements.

•          Rolling resistance testing utilises a couple standardised test methods to measure the amount of hysteretic energy loss from a rolling tyre on a drum and specified surface.

•          Force and moment testing on a moving belt has been used to characterise tyre performance for vehicle design as it relates to cornering and other use conditions.

As time has passed, tyres have been asked to do more and more on vehicles. While the testing methodology has remained similar, conditions have been altered to accommodate these vehicle performance expectations. And while reducing testing time has always been a goal, many of these standard tests still require the same amount of time to conduct.

Because much of tyre testing has been standardised over the years, many facets of the industry can use tyre testing data as a unifying benchmark for evaluating specific performance criteria. For OEMs, the data is valuable to the vehicle development process. For tyre companies, the data is used in a marketing context to compare and contrast features for consumers. Trucking fleets use the data to optimise their operations and reduce costs and fuel consumption. Consistency in testing methodology provides the industry with a unifying foundation of benchmarking data.

That being said, older methods are always being reviewed for obsolescence. For example, NHTSA in the United States is currently considering the removal of test standards for bead unseat and plunger energy testing that were originally developed for bias ply tyre designs.

There are always efforts to look at novel ways of improving the tyre testing process and increasing speed to market. For example, experimenting with different surfaces for drum and belt testing of tyres continues to take place in an attempt to more closely replicate an infinite number of real-life surface conditions. Man-made snow has been developed to extend testing seasons and try to mirror natural snow in an indoor environment. As the industry learns more about how pressure loss impacts rolling resistance and fuel efficiency, more methods have been developed to measure how well different inner liner materials maintain steady tyre pressure. Tyre companies can more readily choose the right materials of construction to suit performance requirements by using material property data from finite element analysis.

Many of these testing methodologies are trending towards virtual testing and modelling of tyre performance. And while tyre modelling has been around since the 1980s, the amount of data and range of data measurement required has increased exponentially.

The key automotive trends driving tyre development going forward continue to be electrification and autonomy. These trends will bring their own challenges to testing and validation. Electrification will present some traditional challenges with new applications, such as managing heavier loads, more aggressive torque / tread wear, reducing noise, and lowering rolling resistance. New materials and constructions are being developed to accommodate these unique challenges for electric vehicles. Tyre tuning will become exceptionally important as second-life tyres are brought into the mix, as consumers will want consistent performance.

From the perspective of autonomous vehicles, sensors and tyre intelligence are being added to provide new data sources for autonomous systems. Tyres equipped with these sensors will have to undergo the same endurance, durability, and performance tests to ensure the sensor can function as designed when faced with the same rigors as the tyre. Depending on where the sensors are mounted in the tyre/wheel assembly, normal tyre dynamics could adversely affect the accuracy of measurements or transmission of data to the vehicle. As aftermarket tires and sensors are developed, testing and validation should follow the same standards to simplify service and compatibility for consumers. Ease of replacement will be critical, as this directly affects the consumer and dealers.

There will continue to be developments and ongoing efforts to improve the fidelity and range of tyre testing data. These improvements will strive to speed up development cycles and improve virtual models going forward. However, the established standards and protocols continue to provide a steadfast and reliable set of tools that development teams, independent evaluators, and testing organisations can use to address new challenges and ensure that the ultimate goal of safety is met for regulatory bodies and consumers.

Dr. James A. Popio is Vice President of Operations - North America of the Smithers Materials Science and Engineering division. Prior to his current role, he was Vice President and General Manager of Smithers in the United Kingdom. Before that, he was General Manager and Director of Engineering at Smithers' Tire and Wheel Testing Laboratory in Ravenna, Ohio.

Jim has worked with the tyre and rubber industry for 20 years and has spent his professional career working for and/or with tyre companies, tyre dealers, automotive OEMs, industry suppliers, manufacturers, standards organisations and government agencies. 

Jim has extensive experience in tyre performance, characterisation, and methods development. His specialty areas of expertise are force and moment, endurance, aging, compliance, indoor wear, rolling resistance, and characterisation for modelling. Jim is a regular contributor to industry journals as well as a chair and speaker at major tyre and rubber conferences. Jim has a PhD in engineering and MS, and BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Akron

The integration of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into the tyre industry is gaining momentum, offering solutions for traceability, sustainability and lifecycle management. Beontag, in collaboration with Michelin, is spearheading this innovation by jointly designing specialised RFID tags that can withstand the harsh conditions tyres face, such as extreme heat and pressure. The tags store crucial data, enabling efficient recycling, retreading and warranty management. As the tyre industry evolves, RFID adoption is seen as essential for ensuring authenticity, improving asset management and supporting regulatory frameworks. However, challenges remain in scaling production and increasing industry awareness.

Punch card systems, barcodes, dog tags, biometric scanners etc. are all instruments that offer basic information about humans and commodities for identification, authentication, traceability and retrospection.

The tyre industry is similarly standing at a crossroad where the demand for traceability and retrospection is growing. Tyre manufacturers, retailers, retreaders and recyclers are showing a growing exuberance for digital footprints that can record, summarise and authenticate information related to each existing and new tyres throughout the commodities lifecycle.

And the simple solution catering to such demands is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. While the use of RFID tags is new within the global tyre market, these have found a stronghold across retail, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare etc.

The tag is changing the game of traceability within tyre markets as the adoption grows. Technological companies are collaborating with tyre manufacturers to develop tailor-made RFIDs.

International RFID and IoT expert Beontag is one such company that has developed RFID tags for the tyre industry. Divulging deep into the engineering mechanics of the tag, APAC Senior Sales Manager Evelyn Ong told Tyre Trends, “RFID technology used in tyres is significantly different from conventional RFID applications due to the harsh conditions tyres endure, such as high temperature, pressure and wear and tear. Unlike RFID tags used in retail or medical settings, tyre RFID tags must be engineered to survive extreme conditions. As a result, traditional RFID designs, which use PET labels and conductive paste for chip attachment, are unsuitable. Instead, tyre RFID tags rely on a mechanically robust and inductively coupled antenna structure.”

“Designing RFID for tyres required a completely new approach, and the current version (generation four) is believed to be durable enough to last the entire lifecycle of a tyre. This innovation aligns with initiatives like the European Digital Product Passport (DPP), which mandates that products must be identifiable throughout their life cycle. Although RFID chips themselves only store a unique identifier (similar to a FASTag or car license plate), all detailed data such as manufacturing date, plant origin, distribution history, usage, retreading details and material composition is stored in backend software systems. As the tyre moves through the supply chain, each stakeholder adds relevant data to the software based on the RFID, creating a comprehensive database that supports traceability and lifecycle management including recycling or retreading,” she added.

The company’s main RFID tag for the tyre industry includes a chip with memory, enabling it to store data and serve as a digital identifier for the physical tyre using radio waves. This transforms a traditional tyre into a digitally traceable product.

Beontag jointly designed this RFID tag with Michelin, exploring the benefits of embedding a chip in tyres for purposes like asset management and product authentication and was instrumental in driving standardisation across the industry. While Michelin is the first tyre manufacturer to roll out the new ‘smart tyres’ with Beontag technology, the manufacturer recently announced a partnership with Kumho Tire and aims to go into partnership with other brands in the near future.

DEMAND AND SUPPLY

The company recently participated in a global tyre exhibition and rationalised its participation with significant long-term potential of the tyre RFID market. “With over 30 billion tyres in circulation globally, the scale of the opportunity is enormous. Having worked in RFID for over 20 years, the technology excels in applications involving products that are physically similar and difficult to differentiate visually like tyres. This makes tyres an ideal use case for RFID,” said the official.

Ong explained that beyond the European Digital Product Passport regulation, a key driver for embedding RFID in tyres is the fundamental need for every product to have a unique identity, whether through a barcode, QR code or digital tag. In the tyre industry, this need has been especially pressing due to the limitations of traditional identification methods like hot stamping, which often wear off over time and result in a loss of traceability.

She noted that the absence of a durable, readable ID creates challenges in verifying authenticity, determining warranty status and tracing the tyre’s origin. For instance, without a reliable identifier, it becomes difficult to confirm whether a tyre is genuinely from Michelin or to retrieve key manufacturing details such as plant location, batch number or intended distribution path.

By embedding RFID tags with unique digital identities, the industry gains the ability to link every part of the tyre’s lifecycle across the value chain. This ensures consistent traceability, facilitates better inventory and warranty management and combats counterfeiting.

“We are actively engaging with the top 10 global tyre manufacturers in the transition towards RFID-enabled tyres. While the European market is leading adoption driven largely by regulatory frameworks, we are also working with tyres manufacturers across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

“Although OEMs like Michelin are beginning to integrate RFID tags, starting with high-end passenger tyres, there is a growing and immediate demand from the aftermarket. This secondary market includes fleet operators, leasing companies and pay-per-use models, where the need for tyre tracking is urgent. These businesses want to monitor retreading cycles, ensure asset recovery and verify ownership, especially to prevent tyre theft or unauthorised replacements,” she added.

According to Ong, some aftermarket players are even looking to embed RFID tags independently rather than waiting for OEMs to standardise the process, underscoring strong demand outside the traditional supply chain.

When asked about growth potential between the passenger and commercial segments, she indicated that although current OEM efforts are focused on high-end passenger tyres, interest from the commercial and aftermarket sectors is strong and could drive faster adoption due to practical and financial incentives.

Furthermore, RFID tags play a key role in sustainability by enabling traceability throughout a tyre’s lifecycle. It allows manufacturers to capture crucial data at the point of manufacture, which is essential for tracking and recycling. With RFID, recycling processes become more efficient because tyres can be easily sorted based on type, size and materials. This minimises waste, reduces sorting time and improves the overall effectiveness of recycling efforts.

HURDLES IN ADOPTION

The executive noted that there are unique challenges of designing an RFID tag for tyres given the nature of its operations. To address these hurdles, the company and Michelin jointly designed and extensively validated a specialised RFID tag consisting of a chip and an antenna, which is fully embedded within the tyre.

This tag is designed to be invisible from the outside and integrated into the tyre structure in a way that ensures durability without compromising performance. The antenna’s spring-like structure allows it to expand and contract along with the tyre’s movement without affecting its function.

Crucially, the connection between the chip module and spring antenna is linkless, using inductive coupling instead of mechanical connection. This inductive mechanism ensures reliability even under extreme conditions like high temperature, pressure and physical deformation.

Although the tag is not constantly read during vehicle operation, it must remain functional and readable during inspections or servicing.

Alluding to broader industry challenges towards adoption, Ong said, “Current challenges centre primarily around a lack of awareness and industrialisation of the production process in existing tyre production lines and factories. Unlike retail, where RFID is well-established, the tyre sector is still in the early stages of adoption. Because of this, there is a need to educate the market, build trust and demonstrate real-world use cases. Potential customers are hesitant to act as first movers and prefer to see proven implementations to reduce perceived risk. A hopeful future challenge would be demand outpacing production capacity. However, a more realistic and significant long-term challenge lies in technological evolution, particularly around IC size, performance development and adding more functionality through sensor information.”

INTEGRATING RFIDS

The RFID chip used in tyres stores a minimum of 96 bits of data, which aligns with the standard size modelled after barcodes. This size is sufficient to encode essential identifying information including a serialised number.

While barcodes only identify products at the SKU level, RFID allows each item to have a unique identifier, making it far more powerful for inventory management. At every stage in the tyre’s lifecycle, it is the responsibility of the user or stakeholder to read the RFID tag and input relevant data into the software system, linking it to the tag’s unique identifier.

One of the most compelling applications of tyre RFID is during the tyre’s second life – especially in retreading. In this stage, the retreader can embed a new RFID tag and effectively reset the tyre’s lifecycle. This allows the retreading company to claim and track the work they’ve done including how many times the tyre has been retreaded and when.

Fleet operators or regulators can use this data to verify authenticity, ensure compliance and manage safety.

At the end of the tyre’s life, especially during the recycling stage, RFID continues to offer value by recording the tyre’s complete journey. Recyclers can access a tyre’s full history by ensuring proper handling and reporting.

The key challenge in placing the RFID tag is ensuring its proper location and integration into the tyre’s structure. This process must be carefully controlled as the tag must not only be positioned in the optimal spot but also withstand the stresses and heat of the curing process. If the tag was placed improperly, it could potentially cause issues with its performance, especially in terms of readability after the tyre is fully cured and ready for use.

COMPETITION AND EVOLUTION

Besides Beontag, there are other companies operating within the tyre RFID space. Alluding to the distinction between them, Ong explained, “The main difference of our product lies in the patented POD design (POD = IC module/package). Our product utilises a special alloy for the antenna, which prevents deformation and ensures consistent diameter and gap size. Additionally, the chip packaging has been specifically designed to offer better protection, reducing the risk of damage and ensuring reliable readings.”

She explained that the company’s business case for RFID technology in the tyre industry is clear and it believes strongly in its potential. She emphasised the importance of spreading awareness about the technology, as Europe will be implementing the technology first, but other regions including APAC and the Americas will be catching up as the technology is proven in the coming years.

Swedish automotive software leader NIRA Dynamics AB and BANF Smart Tire System of South Korea have announced a new partnership aimed at significantly enhancing vehicle safety and predictive maintenance for commercial vehicles. The collaboration will see BANF integrate its high-frequency tyre sensors into NIRA's established software ecosystem.

This strategic alliance aims to disrupt Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), providing commercial fleets and automakers with unprecedented real-time insights into tyre health and road safety. NIRA Dynamics, founded in 2001, is a global automotive software powerhouse with its technologies deployed in over 120 million vehicles worldwide, including an indirect TPMS (iTPMS) that has surpassed 110 million units sold.

Under the agreement, NIRA will incorporate BANF's triaxial tyre sensors into its Road Surface Information (RSI) and Wheel Safety Insights (WSI) platforms. These platforms already utilise existing vehicle sensor data and proprietary algorithms for functions like tyre grip estimation, tread wear analysis and loose wheel detection.

BANF's key innovation lies in its Smart Profiler system, which wirelessly powers internal tyre sensors directly from the vehicle battery, overcoming the challenge of continuous power and real-time data transmission from rotating tyres. This integration will significantly enhance NIRA's capabilities, particularly for monitoring commercial vehicle loads and dual-tyre setups, by providing sensor data at high sampling rates of 1kHz and 4kHz.

Otto Johansson, Head of Innovation at NIRA Dynamics, said, "This collaboration accelerates our vision of creating a comprehensive vehicle intelligence network. While our software solutions already process data from millions of vehicles, adding specialised hardware enables new use cases in predictive maintenance and ADAS applications."

NIRA's evolution from software-only tyre pressure monitoring to multi-layered safety systems is evident in its flagship Tyre Pressure Indicator (TPI) technology, which has eliminated the need for physical sensors in many applications, significantly reducing electronic waste. The company has also collaborated with automotive giants like Volkswagen Group on innovations such as Road Surface Alerts.

The partnership also addresses critical safety needs in commercial vehicles. NIRA's Loose Wheel Indicator (LWI), already deployed in Audi vehicles, will now be extended to heavy-duty vehicles through the BANF collaboration, aiming to mitigate the thousands of annual wheel detachment incidents reported.

For fleet operators, the integrated system promises substantial operational benefits. NIRA's Winter Road Insights product, which helps optimise road maintenance, combined with BANF's wear prediction algorithms, is expected to lead to reduced tyre replacement costs and improved fuel efficiency.

Ron Yoogun Lee, Head of Business Development, BANF, said, “Our goal is to enhance cost-effectiveness, save lives and preserve the environment by digitising tyres, which are the last analog domain in the mobility industry.”

Looking ahead, NIRA's technology roadmap includes developing ‘grip maps’ for SAE Level 2-3 autonomous vehicles and leveraging data from millions of vehicles to create AI models for predictive infrastructure maintenance, further solidifying its position at the forefront of automotive innovation.

AI-powered mobile data capture company Anyline has launched TireBuddy, a smartphone-based app designed to modernise tyre inspections in automotive service bays. The app replaces traditional, manual inspection methods with a standardised digital workflow that delivers consistent, data-backed results and clear customer reports.

TireBuddy offers technicians tools to detect tread depth issues, tyre age, alignment concerns and sidewall damage using AI-powered analysis and visual reporting – without the need for additional hardware. Reports can be instantly shared in digital or printed formats, helping to reduce manual entry errors and increase customer trust.

The launch comes ahead of National Tire Safety Week (30 June 30 – 4 July), positioning the app as a timely solution for shops preparing for the summer travel season.

Lukas Kinigadner, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Anyline, said, “TireBuddy is not only about faster inspections — it’s about more trustworthy ones. We’re helping garages and service centres replace subjective tyre checks with data-backed insights and visual reporting that both technicians and customers can rely on.”

Frederic Baroin, Global Head of Automotive Business at Anyline, said, “TireBuddy empowers technicians with real-time, reliable data that strengthens recommendations and builds customer confidence. We designed it to deliver clarity, not complexity, in every inspection.”

By enhancing inspection accuracy and transparency, Anyline said TireBuddy can also drive higher service approvals and boost shop revenue.

Indian tyre maker CEAT said it has purchased the country’s first Scania 460 G prime mover truck to strengthen its research and development operations as the company pushes to expand in overseas markets.

The Mumbai-based manufacturer described the acquisition as part of efforts to upgrade its commercial vehicle tyre testing capabilities to international standards, particularly for certification in Europe and the United States.

The Scania G460 produces 460 horsepower from its 12.7-litre engine and can handle a gross vehicle weight of 150,000 kilograms (330,693 pounds). The truck features Scania’s Super engine technology, which the Swedish manufacturer says improves fuel efficiency while cutting emissions.

CEAT officials stated that the new testing platform will help accelerate product development and reduce costs while meeting stricter global standards.

“This high-performance vehicle is not just a prime mover — it’s a strategic investment in our Commercial Vehicle Tyre Testing Infrastructure, aimed at elevating our research & development capabilities to meet global standards,” the company said in a statement.

The investment comes as Indian tyre companies grapple with volatile raw material prices while trying to capitalize on strong domestic demand from India’s growing automotive sector. Industry analysts say that manufacturers are under pressure to improve efficiency and expand internationally in order to maintain profitability.

CEAT joins other major Indian tyre makers in ramping up research capabilities as they compete for market share both domestically and abroad.

The company said the new truck will support vehicle dynamics testing and help reduce the time needed to bring new commercial tyre products to market.