As electric vehicles continue to become more popular in North America, Michelin CEO Alexis Garcin says consumers will need to learn that tires are “the most important range-extending feature of an electric vehicle.” And he says independent tire dealers will play a critical role in educating consumers on that front.

Our recent conversations with tire dealers leave us with the view that retail sellout trends have lost a bit of steam year-over-year. Sellout trends moved lower in December 2022 versus December 2021 levels.

Tire industry analyst John Healy shares his thoughts on electric vehicles, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the North American tire market, what tire dealers should prepare for and more in the third part of this exclusive interview. 

More than 1,000 people are attending K&M Tire Inc.'s 2023 Dealer Conference and Trade Show this week in Las Vegas, Nev.

Prinx Chengshan Tire North America Inc. has introduced the Fortune Tires' new Premium Tire Roadside Assistance Program for ST radial tires. The Premium Tire Roadside Assistance program has several benefits in the event a flat tire should occur with a Fortune ST radial tire.

PPG Commercial Coatings has released the PPG Wheel Refurbishing Program, which was created to address the needs of commercial tire retreaders.

Yokohama Tire Corp. is rolling out its new trailer tire, the 114R medium truck tire, which is designed for fleets and owner-operators who are looking to maximize tire life in regional haul and spread-axle operations. The tire will be available on March 1.

Bridgestone Americas Inc. has introduced the M863 all-position radial tire designed for increased durability for on- and off-highway fleets. The M863 was made for tough trucks, concrete mixers, dump trucks, construction fleets and logging trucks.  

Demand for medium truck tires was strong during the first nine months of 2022. And several manufacturers report that this positive momentum carried over into the fourth quarter.