"We’re going to see a lot of legislation on both the state and federal levels” during 2022 that will impact independent tire dealers, notes Roy Littlefield IV, director of government affairs for the Tire Industry Association.
It’s been five years since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted a second round of fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Those standards are still in place. And they continue to create challenges when it comes to truck tire design.
In 2021 the California Energy Commission (CEC) plans to implement a replacement tire efficiency program. Its goal is to ensure replacement tires sold in the state are just as energy efficient as the tires installed as original equipment on vehicles.
Imports of radial truck tires from China into the U.S. have dropped 25% in the first three months of 2019, from more than 1.8 million to just shy of 1.4 million, compared to the same period a year ago.
By 2030 hybrids will account for half of Toyota's global vehicle production. That means 'green' tires are going mainstream, and they're expanding beyond 15- and 16-inches to match the rest of the replacement tire market.
Dandelions. Orange oil. Soybean oil. Guayule. With each new experiment in the building process, it’s clear tire makers are in the hunt for sustainable substitutes for rubber compounding materials in the tire manufacturing process.
