The Drive Towards Sustainable Tire Manufacturing

Rubber from desert shrubs, synthetic compounds made from waste polystyrene packaging, plastic bottles spun into reinforcement fibers and treads that automatically adapt to changing road conditions. These are just some of the innovations helping to steer the tire industry towards a more sustainable future.

It’s a challenge that spans every part of the value chain. Behind every tire is a complex blend of over 200 materials, including synthetic polymers, natural rubber, steel, textiles, oils and chemical additives, all of which come at a high environmental cost. Tires consume significant amounts of energy during production, are largely made from petroleum-based materials and are a major source of microplastic pollution once they hit the road.

As cars, trucks and heavy equipment move towards net zero, rethinking tire design, materials and manufacturing has become one of the most powerful ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

Designing For Performance And The Planet

The balance of a tire is shaped by what engineers call the “magic triangle”, covering grip, rolling resistance and durability. Adding sustainability into the mix complicates the equation further. 

Studies indicate that tire wear contributes significantly to particulate pollution. Modern vehicles release nearly 2,000 times more particles from tire wear than exhaust emissions. These ultrafine particles carry toxic compounds that enter the air, water and soil.

In response, tire manufacturers are turning to new materials and advanced simulation to test their performance. Dandelion and guayule, a hardy desert shrub, are emerging as alternative sources of natural rubber. Recycled carbon black, renewable butadiene, silica from rice and other biological fillers are being trialed in experimental compounds. Virtual testing allows engineers to evaluate thousands of material combinations and fine-tune the magic triangle, even as sustainability considerations reshape the formula. At the same time, large-scale recycling plants are being built to reclaim valuable materials from spent tires, including micronized rubber powder, closing the loop and feeding insights back into the design process.

To dive deeper into how leading manufacturers are going beyond just material innovation — embracing circular design, full-life assessments, and end-of-life reuse — check out our page on Sustainable Tires.

Smarter, Cleaner Tire Production

Tire production is notoriously energy intensive and another prime area for innovation. Vulcanization, the process of curing rubber, accounts for the majority of emissions, yet other processes within the factory like mixing, cutting and cooling also consume vast amounts of energy and water.

Manufacturers are tackling this on several fronts. Electric vulcanizers, solar-powered plants and localized production are already helping to cut emissions. Tire makers are also investing in ways to better manage and diversify natural rubber supply chains, often through new tree-planting initiatives to offset wider environmental impacts.

Within all of this, powerful digital capabilities play a central role. Virtual twins and virtual factory simulations allow engineers to validate tire blends and manufacturing methods, optimize production lines and reduce waste before a single tire is made. By simulating how materials are mixed, cured and flow through the factory, manufacturers can fine-tune processes, monitor energy use and test unlimited scenarios to decide on the best approach forward.

Titan LATAM, for instance, uses SIMULIA’s simulation capabilities on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to accurately create the right tooling for new tire products. By having a clearer idea of how the tire will look and perform before it’s created, the company also doesn’t need to make as many physical prototypes.

Using simulation, we can include all the parameters that are important and necessary for us to understand the three-dimensional tire. We already have successful cases where the tire, after being developed, replicated exactly what we had put in the simulation. With 3DEXPERIENCE, we end up not making so many prototypes and throwing them away.

Ricardo Karasz, Product Engineering Manager, Titan LATAM

To see how other manufacturers are using virtual twins to innovate in tire design and production, explore our Innovation in the Tire Industry page.

Engineering for New Forms of Mobility

As mobility shifts towards electric, hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles, manufacturers must account for how the demands placed on tires are changing. Electric vehicles (EVs), for instance, are heavier than traditional cars and deliver instant torque that puts added stress on tires. This means tires must be tougher, optimized for range and capable of withstanding higher forces. Upcoming powertrain developments will introduce more challenges and demand further innovation at both the material and structural level.

To adapt, manufacturers are developing stronger compounds, new tread patterns and designs that reduce noise and vibration. Much of this work happens virtually. Engineers can now model thousands of tire variations, simulate wear, vibration and stability, and predict real-world performance without relying on endless prototypes.

At Toyo Tire, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform connects tire structure analysis with vehicle driving simulations to optimize designs for specific models and use cases. This connected approach has shortened tire development cycles by 25%, improved collaboration across Toyo Tire’s teams and supported the delivery of durable, high-performance tires that align with the company’s sustainability goals.

We can reduce the time required to develop the tire. And I can say that using the platform we were able to shorten this time by 25%.

Masayuki Kanai, Director, Vice President & Senior Corporate Officer, Toyo Tire Corporation

Creating a Circular Tire Ecosystem

For tires to be truly sustainable, change must extend beyond materials and manufacturing. While materials account for around 15% of a tire’s total carbon footprint, nearly 80% occurs during use.

That’s where traceability comes in. Smart sensors and embedded ID chips are increasingly used to track tires throughout their lifecycle.

These connected tires monitor pressure, temperature and wear in real time, helping operators extend tire lifespans through preventive maintenance and retreading, and support recycling efforts. Fleet operators in industries like mining and agriculture for instance already do this to reduce downtime and manage their resources more effectively.

To make all of this scalable, manufacturers will need to standardize how these systems work across the industry. In parallel, they must also support the rise of new “Tires-as-a-Service” business models, which continue to gain traction. Here, instead of selling a product, manufacturers retain responsibility for maintenance, retreading, recycling and replacement, keeping materials in circulation at their highest value and saving more tires from landfill.

A Data-Driven Path to Compliance

Amidst all of these initiatives, rules and regulations around tire abrasion, recycling and end-of-life management are tightening worldwide. Europe’s upcoming Digital Product Passports, for example, will require every tire to carry traceable information. Industry groups like the Tire Industry Project and the Global Data Service Organisation for Tyres are developing shared standards to scale these practices globally.

Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform brings together design, engineering, production, operational and recycling data within a continuous digital thread to support these efforts. At the same time, manufacturers gain access to all the capabilities they need to create, verify, validate and manage tires throughout their lifecycle.

In one centralized environment, they can virtually simulate new materials, optimize production, track performance on the road and plan for end-of-life reuse or recycling. By blending real-world data with virtual models, tire makers can make the best use of their resources, accelerate innovation and stay ahead of evolving regulations.

Progress across the industry so far demonstrates that even the most familiar products can be reimagined. Every innovation, whether its developing greener compounds, reducing energy consumption through smarter production or using sensors to extend tire lifespans, adds up. Together, they will shape a tire that’s cleaner, more durable and better for the planet. The future of mobility quite literally rides on it.