Continental has launched a tire designed specifically for urban transportation, known as the Conti Urban HA 5.

The tire addresses needs such as varying road conditions, frequent stops, heavy traffic and the rising use of electric buses. The tire has a thick sidewall and robust compounds designed to provide durability following knocks against curbs and other obstacles. The tire’s design also supports retreading and recycling, extending its lifecycle and reducing environmental impact.

Tire longevity is a primary concern for urban bus fleets. The Conti Urban HA 5 features an enhanced tread cap and base compound, specifically formulated for urban road conditions.

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The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), a non-departmental public body of the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade, has recommended an increase in the duties paid by the majority of Chinese tire exporters, as part of an effort to protect the UK’s tire retreading industry.

The advice, concerning truck, bus and radial (TBR) tires, comes after two transition reviews into anti-dumping and countervailing measures on lorry and bus tires imported from China. These reviews examined the UK’s existing anti-dumping and countervailing measures, which were originally implemented due to the UK’s membership of the EU. Following the end of the transition period on December 31, 2020, these measures were incorporated into UK law.

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The US Tire Manufacturers Association’s (USTMA) 6PPD Alternatives Analysis Consortium has received a Notice of Compliance from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for its revised Preliminary (Stage 1) Alternatives Analysis report. This compliance allows the Consortium to move forward with developing a Stage 2 Alternatives Analysis report, to further explore the most promising potential replacements for 6PPD in motor vehicle tires.

The California DTSC recognized the Consortium’s “continued efforts to seek safer alternatives to 6PPD” and acknowledged USTMA’s “open communication about research updates and results.” USTMA had initially requested that 6PPD be added to the agency’s priority products plan in December 2020.

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Toyo Tires has chosen technology company Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to provide its seventh-generation high-performance computing (HPC) system for tire development, delivered through the HPE GreenLake cloud platform. The new system is expected to accelerate the time-to-market for Toyo Tires’ next-generation solutions by improving the speed and precision of processing structural tire data.

The computational power of the upgraded HPC system aims to reduce the time required for complex, large-scale design simulations that Toyo Tires uses to train its AI models. The platform uses HPE Cray XD systems and is designed to deliver the flexibility to scale HPC resources and provide greater access for designers.

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The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) has begun studies on the chemical recycling of end-of-life tires (ELTs) using the coke ovens at its Kagawa plant in Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The company aims to begin marketing sustainable carbon black produced from these recycled tires by March 2026.

The tire industry is shifting toward the use of sustainable raw materials, leading to a rising demand for recycled carbon black, a key material used as a rubber reinforcing agent in tires. MCG says it plans to leverage its existing supply chain to process crushed ELTs in its coke ovens, converting the material into carbon black.

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Caledonia Investments has acquired a majority stake in Direct Tyre Management (DTM), a UK independent provider of outsourced tire management services for fleet operators. The investment, valued at £55m, was made alongside the DTM management team, which reinvested to acquire 100% of the business from previous investors, including Palatine Private Equity.

Headquartered in Blackpool, DTM employs over 100 people and manages approximately 1.3 million tires across 285,000 vehicles for around 250 fleet customers. The company leverages a technology platform to enhance fleet efficiency, compliance and output, connecting the vehicles it manages to a national network of over 3,500 service provider locations.

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Goodyear has launched of its new Assurance WeatherReady 2 tire, designed to provide better performance across a range of weather conditions. According to industry tests, the Assurance WeatherReady 2 performed well in wet handling, wet braking and dry handling.

The Assurance WeatherReady 2 was tested against comparable products, including the Michelin CrossClimate 2, Bridgestone WeatherPeak and Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive. Goodyear says the results place its tire at the top in terms of wet and dry performance.

Equipped with Goodyear’s All-Weather technology, the tire features a tread compound that adapts to various weather conditions. It also incorporates Aquatred technology with evolving traction grooves designed to channel water and slush away from the tire.

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The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) has been appointed to the Waste Tyre Management Industry Advisory Committee, a group tasked with implementing South Africa’s Waste Tyre Management Plan, approved by the cabinet in March 2024. The SATMC represents four multinational tire manufacturers operating in South Africa.

Nduduzo Chala, managing executive of SATMC, has been named vice chairperson of the committee, and Charl de Villers, chairperson of the Tyre Importers Association of South Africa (TIASA), will serve as chairperson.

Chala said, “As the SATMC, we look forward to working closely with all committee representatives and the broader industry to drive forward the objectives of the Waste Tyre Management Plan, which include expanding waste tyre processing capacity, developing monitoring systems, and supporting municipal waste management initiatives.”

The committee also includes representatives from the Retail Motor Industry (RMI); the Tyre, Equipment, Parts Association (TEPA); the Tyre Recycling Industry Association of South Africa; the Recycling Association of South Africa; and the Waste Tyre Management Forum.

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Bridgestone has been selected as the exclusive tire partner for Lamborghini’s new Temerario supercar, which will debut in 2025.

“The Temerario is a new benchmark in the super sportscar segment, offering the highest levels of performance and comfort, and Bridgestone is the perfect partner to help us maximize its potential,” said Cristian Mastro, marketing director at Lamborghini.

The partnership, continuing an existing long-term collaboration, involves the development of three custom-engineered tire fitments for the hybrid high-performance electrified vehicle (HPEV). These include the Potenza Sport and Potenza Race tires for summer and track conditions, and the Blizzak LM005 tire for winter driving.

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Tire Group International (TGI), a tire distributor, has acquired Avaun Tire Supply, a wholesale distributor based in Portland, Oregon. Avaun, which was established in 2016 by Sherko Rasouli and Freddie Capshaw, has been a long-term partner of TGI.

The acquisition is part of TGI’s broader strategy to expand its presence in key markets across the USA. According to a company statement, this move aligns with TGI’s goal to strengthen its distribution network and collaborate with other businesses.

Following the acquisition, Sherko Rasouli will continue to lead TGI’s operations in Portland and will also focus on sales of TGI’s house brands – Cosmo, Astro, and Duramas – in the western US.

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