Tyre News in Numbers – October 2026
Tyres & Accessories’ monthly News in Numbers column presents some of the most important statistics of the month, giving you a quick snapshot of major industry stories. Below, we look at the numbers that made the news in the October 2026 magazine. Click the embedded links to read more on each article. If you want to support our leading tyre industry news service, you can gain full access to Tyrepress with a print or online subscription. Tyre professionals can also take advantage of the current Tyrepress Professional Membership offer, helping to drive business online and stay informed with the tyre business’s leading magazine and websites.
$500 million
ZC Rubber’s proposed integrated tyre complex in Egypt carries an estimated investment value of half a billion dollars. The project would establish a major new manufacturing base in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, subject to its development proceeding.
174,000 sq ft
The size of Bond International’s newly purchased Avonmouth warehouse that will replace its Chepstow operation and reinforce UK distribution. The acquisition extends a five-year period of warehouse investment that has also included sites in St Helens, Bathgate and Biggleswade.
6%
Halfords shares jumped by about a tenth after the retailer announced a profit upgrade on 17 August. Although the gain later moderated to 6 per cent, the reaction showed how strongly investors welcomed improved expectations before Zeus published its revised forecasts.
€1 billion
Pirelli’s board approved an investment of approximately one billion euros to expand its Rome, Georgia plant. The programme is intended to support US growth and facilitate the introduction of Cyber Tyre technology in the market.
3 directors
Zhang Haitao, Xi Xiaohong and Wang Kun voted against Pirelli’s approximately €1 billion US expansion plan. The dissent is notable because the proposal nevertheless secured majority approval, exposing a split at board level over the investment.
150 workers
Nuova Icom intends to re-employ all former Bekaert staff at the Macchiareddu site in Sardinia. The commitment makes workforce continuity a central element of the proposed reindustrialisation project rather than simply a property transaction. In addition to rehiring 150 former Bekaert employees, Nuova Icom plans to create 55 new positions.
-9.1%
German tyre production fell by this amount year on year during the first half of 2026. The decline left output at 200,000 tonnes and illustrated the pressure facing one of Europe’s most important industrial manufacturing markets.
4 years
Hankook’s renewed original-equipment supply arrangement with Schmitz Cargobull runs from July 2026 until June 2030. The agreement reconnects the tyre maker with the trailer manufacturer while supporting Hankook’s wider investment in European truck-tyre production.
4 priorities
Tessa Munt MP’s four priorities for the government, outlined at the TRA Briefing Day 2026, to ensure end-of-life tyres are more responsibly and strategically processed in the UK.
603,000 tonnes
The quantity of used tyres generated in the UK in 2025 according to leading tyre business analyst Simon Hodson of Astutus Research, detailed among other headline facts during the TRA Briefing.
12%
POLYN says its VibroSense tyre-monitoring data can improve ABS braking performance by this margin. The technology processes tyre vibration signals using neural networks to provide real-time peak-friction information, potentially giving vehicle control systems more useful grip data.
81%
The share of UK motorists who want learner and newly qualified drivers to demonstrate basic tyre knowledge on the driving test. Bridgestone’s research also found 57 per cent support for graduated driving licences, underlining public concern about practical road-safety education.
3 associations
Tyres Europe formally welcomed national tyre and rubber bodies from Italy, Spain and France as association members. The agreements are intended to strengthen co-ordination, align national expertise with Brussels engagement and support a more coherent industry voice.
322 million tyres
Oxford Economics estimates that 322 million tyres were produced within European Union member states in 2024. Of the 398 million newly fitted tyres used on vehicles in the bloc that year, an estimated 237 million, or 60 per cent, were EU-made.
498,000 jobs
The number of jobs supported by the European tyre industry, according to Oxford Economics, which adds that the business contributes 43.9 billion euro to GDP in the zone.
£1,288
The average unexpected repair bill faced by around one-third of used-car buyers in the UK, according to a Blackcircles study.