Brussels – Tires will have an important role to play in the EU's newly unveiled 'sustainable and smart mobility strategy,' the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association has stated
As presented by the European Commission on 9 Dec, the strategy is structured around three key objectives: making the European transport system "sustainable, smart and resilient."
The roadmap has been developed in the context of the European Green Deal, which aims to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050 in the region.
“The tire Industry is committed to reducing its CO2 footprint throughout the entire tire life cycle and is investing in innovative and sustainable mobility technologies,” ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp said in a statement about the new strategy.
Noting the EU strategy’s focus on the deployment of innovative digital technologies to support sustainable mobility, ETRMA stressed that such IT-based solutions require a regulatory framework.
“For years, and despite the health crisis of the last few months, the European tire industry has continued to develop digital mobility solutions around tires,” according to the association statement.
For drivers and operators to benefit from concepts such as tires-as-a-service, ETRMA said the EU needed to "speed up [the introduction of] a consistent regulatory [framework] on smart mobility and especially on access to in-vehicle data."
ETRMA also went on to highlight the inherent role of tire in road safety, which is at the heart of both the new mobility strategy and the EU Green Deal.
Tire makers play an essential role in improving the safety and the greening of the mobility sector, concluded Cinaralp. This includes "optimising tire technology to improve vehicle’s fuel efficiency and in developing new digital services in transportation and tire data solutions.”
