Electrification and autonomy take tyre tech to the next level

‘Sustainability’ has become one of the automotive industry’s favourite buzzwords, with everyone from scooter start-ups to mainstream manufacturers and Tier 1 and 2 suppliers all keen to outline their efforts towards climate neutral mobility. What began with a focus on tailpipe emissions has since expanded to include all aspects of the vehicle, its production process and its supporting supply chain.

For tyre manufacturers the challenge is twofold. Tyres can make a sizeable contribution to more sustainable transport, with everything from the raw materials and the production process to the use phase and recycling offering room for improvement. At the same time, though, engineers need to adapt their historical products for a fleet that will most likely be electrified, a shift that entails several design challenges. The combination of these headwinds makes for a decided challenge, but not necessarily a daunting one. “The tyre industry has a significant role to play in addressing climate change,” says Apollo Tyres’ Chief Technology Officer Daniele Lorenzetti. “Our industry is one of the biggest consumers of energy, and we have to take the lead in bringing sustainability in a big way.”