EU tyre sourcing, smart tyre sensors and emerging materials technologies lead this week’s Future Tyre Industry Weekly.
TNM examines the implications of commercial-vehicle tyre imports, POLYN’s latest grip-sensing technology and developments in biotechnology and recovered carbon black. We also look at autonomous mining tyre development and the role of connected software in tyre retailing.
Imports accounted for an estimated 50% of newly fitted commercial-vehicle tyres used in the EU in 2024, compared with 31% for passenger cars, according to Oxford Economics.
The figures cover tyres entering use through vehicle production and replacement channels, including tyres fitted to imported vehicles. They exclude EU-made tyres fitted to vehicles exported from the bloc.
TNM’s analysis examines the implications for supply planning. Import share alone does not establish disruption risk. For fleets and distributors, resilience also depends on alternative suppliers, stocks of critical sizes, suitable production availability and retreading options.
POLYN says it has begun supplying VibroSense TMS engineering chips for assembly into tyre-mounted sensor nodes. The technology is designed to estimate available tyre-road grip using vibration data.
The chips allow prospective customers to evaluate the technology ahead of a planned commercial chip tape-out in mid-2027, with automotive qualification to follow.
Performance across tyre types, wear levels and road conditions will be central to establishing its usefulness for vehicle control systems.
The Michelin-backed Biotech Open Platform has begun operating in Clermont-Ferrand and welcomed its first advanced fermentation projects.
More than €20 million has been invested in the first phase, which includes a fermentation line of up to 15 m³ and semi-industrial purification equipment.
Michelin sees opportunities to explore bio-based alternatives to petrochemical molecules, although no tyre-specific outcome from the first projects has been disclosed. The facility provides businesses with a route to test processes beyond laboratory scale and produce material for application testing before committing to commercial manufacturing.
ACE Laboratories and Abdallah Consulting have launched Vericarb, an independent certification programme for recovered carbon black.
The programme combines material characterisation with rubber-performance data to assess products against its defined criteria.
For producers and prospective customers, its relevance lies in connecting independently verified material properties with performance in rubber applications. That information can support product development, customer qualification and discussions about supply requirements.
Techking and Boonray are expanding their existing partnership into joint tyre development, service support and research linking vehicle, tyre and road data.
Reported by TNM this week following a 14 September announcement, the agreement includes plans for application-specific and smart tyres for Boonray’s battery-electric autonomous mining trucks. The proposed integrated data platform forms part of that research programme.
The cooperation builds on tyre and TIKS tyre-management-system supply dating from 2024, alongside testing, data tracking and on-site technical support.
TNM’s connected retail feature examines how software links online tyre sales with supplier availability, fitted pricing and workshop scheduling.
It covers established CAM capabilities alongside Klipboard’s new Autowork platform, which includes AI-assisted booking. The platform was initially launched for US repair and tyre businesses; UK commercial availability has not been independently confirmed.
For retailers, the practical requirement is straightforward: stock information, pricing and fitting appointments must reflect what the business can deliver. Reliable data and workable workshop processes remain central to fulfilling accepted orders.
Aeolus moved its giant OTR expansion forward, with plans to add annual capacity for 20,000 tyres. The company targets May 2027 for the project to be ready for use, with output building gradually.
Mandatory digital waste reporting began on 1 October for covered receivers in England and Wales. Operators must report incoming loads within two working days, starting the day after receipt, and receive a unique reference number before the deadline. Existing waste documentation remains required.
Further detail on the split between original-equipment and replacement tyre imports in the EU; results from POLYN’s customer evaluations; and the certification criteria supporting Vericarb’s recovered carbon black programme. Each would help readers assess the practical implications of developments covered this week.
Tags: Tyre Manufacturing, Fleet Tyre Business, Tyre Retail, Online Tyre Business, Tyre Recovery, Recycling
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