The Betula tire is not yet mass-produced; it is a conceptual development. Birch bark is used as a component of the rubber compound for the tread.
With the use of birch bark filler, the share of renewable and recycled components in the tire tread reached 93%. Nokian Betula is manufactured with a tread similar to the Hakkapeliitta R5 studless winter tire and tested at the company’s testing grounds in Finland.
“From the very beginning, the potential of this material for use in tires was obvious. The Nokian Tires Betula concept tire confirms its applicability and highlights the potential of the material for commercial use in the future,” Teemu Soini, the company’s vice president of innovation, is quoted in a Nokian release.
Nokian Betula tire
Nokian
Birch bark, which was used in tires, is widely distributed in northern Europe as a by-product of forestry.
