At IAA Transportation 2024, held between 17-22 September in Hanover, Germany, the vehicle manufacturers said in unison to delegates: “We are ready for the transition to electric vehicles. Now we are waiting for the market to follow.” Maxion Wheels had a similar message for its OEM customers: “We are ready. Everything is developed. We know how to do it.”At its stand, the company showcased a range of different wheels, from sustainable steel to light electric urban to forged aluminium – this last type being shown to the public for the very first time since Maxion announced its intention to enter this market segment at IAA Transportation 2022. But Maxion’s execs were keen to stress that the company’s moves to support electric vehicles and sustainability are not disruptive; rather, these initiatives are in keeping with a longstanding “culture of innovation” at Maxion.

This variant has been tailored for demanding heavy-duty applications like logging, construction and heavy-haul operations. The design improves stability, weight distribution and control aiding in driver comfort, performance and safety.

With these tyres, Michelin claims that operators could save annually up to EUR2,200 per truck with the X Line and up to EUR380 per truck with the X Multi.

The company introduced its AeroLight concept study as well as Europe's lightest front axle and trailer wheel, weighing just 36.2 kg, along with a new range of forged aluminium wheels for the European commercial vehicle sector.

In partnership with Trailer Dynamics, the company showcased its new eTrailer, a significant step in the electrification of freight transport. The eTrailer is equipped with a new electric axle that helps reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 50%, depending on the application and route.

Holger Lange, head of R&D for truck and bus tyres at Continental explained that the company is focused on enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of its commercial vehicle tyres​.

Michelin India says the MICHELIN X Multi Energy Z+ is a ‘Make in India’ tyre meaning that it has been engineered in India for Indian road and load conditions

CEAT's current TBR tyre production capacity is 3,000 tyres per day.

JK Tyre operates 12 manufacturing facilities, nine in India and three in Mexico, producing 35 million tyres annually.

Volvo Trucks has decided to integrate the Goodyear DriverHub application into Volvo's new My Business Apps service (subscription-based service), launching in 2024 across selected European markets. This collaboration enhances Volvo Trucks' digital service portfolio, giving operators more tools to improve vehicle performance and reduce costs.

Designed for heavy loads in rough terrains, the trailer tyre is initially available in size 385/65R22.5, with 265/70R19.5 planned for Q4 2024.

In our last feature on Maxion Wheels in Turkey, I made only brief mention of a very recent and significant development at the Manisa site: the construction of a new plant for forged aluminium wheels, designed not for light vehicles but for heavy trucks and other commercial vehicles. The decision to enter the CV aluminium wheel market was announced by Maxion Wheels at the last IAA Transportation in 2022; the news is important enough that it deserves an article to itself, and so I interviewed Matt Brest ahead of IAA Transportation 2024, where Maxion Wheels will show its forged aluminium wheels to the public for the first time.