Beontag link-up with Michelin to advance RFID-enabled tires

Milan, Italy – Smart tag manufacturer Beontag has announced a new partnership with Michelin to advance the large-scale introduction of RFID-enabled tires to the market.

Under the deal, RFID chips will be incorporated into “millions of new commercial vehicle and passenger [car] tires over the next two years and beyond,” Beontag said 5 Dec.

The UHF embedded tag, which consists of a jointly design pod and antenna, will enable “complete traceability” of all new tires, according to the Milan-based group.

The partnership builds on the two companies’ collaboration since 2019, when the two companies worked on making a “brand-new, UHF RFID embedded tag from scratch.”

The teams, Beontag said, spent “years of R&D development and months of reliability tests to reach the desired level of quality.”

The result is a connected tire "capable of functioning for up to one million driven kilometres, including through the retreading process common for truck tires,” it added.

The RFID chips are designed to enable tracing a tire throughout its entire life cycle, from its origin at the tire plant through to disposal and recycling.

Tracked information will include date-of-manufacture, storage location, distribution history, installation & replacement/repair details and other data which can be used at all stages of a tire’s life.

In the context of tires set to be sold in the EU market, the tire tags will support compliance with upcoming ESPR (ecodesign for sustainable product) regulations.

Europe's ESPR rules, which mandate the need for 'digital product passports', will come into effect for tires from 2028-2030.