Inside Look at the OE Tire Selection Process: How Nexen Tire America Engineers Tires Alongside New Vehicles, Not After

The brand shares how early-stage collaboration, simulation-led engineering and expanded testing protocols are shaping the future of OE development

RICHFIELD, Ohio (April 8, 2026) – As vehicle platforms grow more complex, driven by electrification, advanced driver systems, and stricter efficiency standards, original equipment (OE) tire development has become a far more integrated and technically demanding process. Nexen Tire America is highlighting how that shift is reshaping supplier collaboration, engineering workflows and validation methods across the industry.

Rather than being treated as a standalone component, tires are developed in parallel with key vehicle systems like suspension, chassis, and electronic controls. That earlier integration enables tire performance to be optimized as part of the overall vehicle package, particularly as hybrids and EVs introduce new demands around noise, load capacity and rolling resistance.

The shift has changed how suppliers operate, pushing companies like Nexen to adopt faster development cycles, deeper engineering collaboration, and advanced technological and digital tools.

“Today’s OE tire is not an off-the-shelf component; it’s being engineered as part of the total vehicle system,” said Aaron Neumann, Head of Nexen Tire America Technical Center. “Every element of the tire is tuned to meet OE-specific targets for safety, handling, and fuel economy, plus an expanding set of EV-specific criteria including rolling resistance for range and tire noise reduction.”

To meet increasingly complex requirements, Nexen has expanded its use of simulation and modeling technologies, including finite element analysis (FEA) and data-driven tire modeling. These tools allow engineers to evaluate performance earlier in the development cycle and reduce the number of physical prototypes needed.

Physical testing remains extensive. Tires undergo a combination of laboratory and real-world validation – including high-speed endurance, rolling resistance, uniformity, noise, and flat-spotting tests – alongside advanced force and torque measurements using specialized equipment. On-road validation includes instrumented traction and braking tests, ride and handling evaluations, treadwear analysis and durability testing across varied surfaces and climates.

Tire construction itself is highly engineered for each application. Tread pattern, construction, footprint, and profile are all refined through iterative testing specific to the target vehicle. While some materials overlap with replacement tires, OE fitments are purpose-built to balance competing priorities across performance, efficiency and comfort.

This level of specialization reflects the growing technical complexity of modern tires, which combine material science, structural engineering and predictive modeling to meet increasingly stringent OEM requirements.

Over the past decade, Nexen Tire has more than doubled its OE portfolio in North America. This growth has been fueled by a hands-on, engineer-to-engineer collaboration model that emphasizes transparency, responsiveness, and technical credibility.

“Automakers value our direct working style and our ability to deliver top-tier technology,” said Neumann. “We operate as true development partners, participating in testing and maintaining close communication throughout the process.”

For consumers, all of this behind-the-scenes work means tires are more precisely matched to vehicle performance than ever before. Many technologies developed for OE programs, including advanced compounds and tread designs, are later incorporated into replacement tires.

“Tires are one of the most complex components on a vehicle,” Neumann added. “They have to deliver safety, efficiency and comfort at the same time, under a wide range of conditions. That level of complexity isn’t often visible to consumers but it plays a critical role in overall vehicle performance.”

For more information about Nexen Tire’s OE tire development or to set up an interview with a Nexen Tire America representative, please contact media@nexentireusa.com or call (310) 374-6177.