Earlier today, the Helsinki Court of Appeal issued a judgment in the securities market criminal case of Nokian Tyres plc. The case heard in the Court of Appeal was related to the events of 2015-2016.
To demonstrate that its tyres are equally suitable for electric and combustion engine vehicles, in summer 2023 Nokian Tyres debuted its ‘Electric Fit’ logo. Since then, it has featured this logo in promotional and point-of-sale material but, curiously, the logo didn’t appear on tyre sidewalls. This has changed with the launch of the Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022 almost certainly affected Nokian Tyres more than any other tyre maker. The firm manufactured 80 per cent of all its car tyres in its factory in Vsevolozhsk, capacity that couldn’t be replaced overnight. After selling the plant near St Petersburg to Russian oil and gas company Tatneft for a paltry 286 million euros, the Finnish company set about starting anew in the region. In September 2024, Nokian Tyres opened an entirely new plant in Oradea, Romania. The first product it is making there is the Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2, a tyre that will be instrumental in growth plans for Europe.
Following the news that the recent class-action price-fixing case against tyre manufacturers has been dismissed, we took a closer look at the Judge’s ruling combining her legal opinion with analysis that we produced based on third-party European data around the time the US suits were brought. In short, we found that Judge’s opinion amounts to the belief that operating in parallel isn’t necessarily tyre price-fixing. And furthermore, our data shows that that broader tyre market prior landscapes somewhat contradict simplistic notions of prices always rising.
In the US, on 25 February 2025, US District Court Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division Chief Judge, Sara Lioi, dismissed the recent US tyre manufacturer price-fixing class-action that followed an EC investigation into similar claims relating to European tyre operations. The named defendants, in alphabetical order, were: Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli and Nokian. All six had jointly filed a motion to dismiss the price-fixing case “for failure to state a claim”.
Nokian Tyres is leading a Finnish programme that will “confront the key challenges of future mobility” through various solutions such as the digitalisation of tyres and traffic, sustainable product lifecycle, and advanced manufacturing technologies. The five-year FutureProof project aims to ensure sustainable European mobility both on and off-road by bringing together actors from different sectors.
When traversing a region that counts as one of the coldest and most inhospitable places on Earth, the right equipment makes all the difference. The Transglobal Car Expedition selected Nokian Tyres as its brand of choice when attempting the first ever east to west crossing of Antarctica and credits the Hakkapeliitta 44 tyres with aiding the venture’s success.
Next month, Nokian Tyres will unveil a new all-season tyre, its arrival coming only about a year and a half after the Seasonproof 1 replaced the original Seasonproof. While it’s possible that the product scheduled to debut at the Bilster Berg race circuit in Germany is the recently launched Seasonproof C1 van tyre, the 2.6-mile track – with its 19 corners and sections with gradients of up to 26 per cent – seems an unlikely location to present tyres intended for delivery vehicles. What then can we expect so soon after the launch of Nokian’s current all-season tyre?
A second Nokian Tyres plant has achieved International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS status. Nokian Tyres reports that its factory in Oradea, Romania, which opened in the latter part of last year, is now certified to utilise sustainable, ISCC PLUS raw materials in its tyres. Certification in Romania follows that for the Nokian Tyres car tyre plant in Nokia, Finland, which obtained ISCC Plus in 2024.
Nokian Tyres plc has released its financial results for 2024, reporting a year-on-year increase in net sales despite challenges such as geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions. The company continued to execute its growth strategy, supported by investments in manufacturing technologies, sustainability initiatives, and capacity expansion.
From 1 March 2025, Tommi Alhola will join the Nokian Tyres management team as Senior Vice President in charge of Passenger Car Tyres, Central Europe. On that date, Lauri Halme will also take on the role of Senior Vice President for Passenger Car Tyres, North America.
After almost two months of discussions, Nokian Tyres reports concluding “change negotiations” related to staff at its Vianor Oy retail and service business in Finland. The bottom line is that the company will terminate the employment contracts of 16 workers, less than half the maximum 40 job cuts mentioned when negotiations began on 26 November. Furthermore, the parties involved in negotiations have agreed to the temporary laying off, for a maximum of 90 days per person during 2025, of some 450 employees at Vianor service points, retreading factories and its OE assembly line.
Despite market conditions it refers to as “challenging,” Nokian Tyres claims to have “set production records” at its North American factory in 2024, and also expanded its product range and grew market presence within the region. Monthly production highs in October and November contributed towards the “best year ever” at the 2019-opened Dayton, Tennessee factory.
With the signing of a long-term contract with renewable energy provider Enery, Nokian Tyres has ensured a supply of zero CO2 emission energy for its new passenger car tyre production facility in Romania. The contract is valid for 11 years from 2025 and additionally provides a framework for Enery to construct a new solar power plant in southern Romania.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved Nokian Tyres’ new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, including both near-term targets for 2030 and long-term targets to reach net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050. SBTi approval means that it considers Nokian Tyres’ targets to be in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
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