Smithers Tire Testing Leader to Speak on Effects of Temperature on Rolling Resistance at 2026 Tire Technology Expo

Published: 2/16/2026

(Akron,Ohio) - 2/16/2026 - Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, announces that Henry He, General Manager of the Smithers Testing Laboratory in Suzhou, China, will be speaking at the 2026 Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany, from March 3 to 5.

He's presentation, titled “The Effects of Temperature on Tire Rolling Resistance and Relation to EV Development,” is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. CET on Wednesday, March 4. He will discuss how rolling resistance is impacted by the broad range of operating and ambient temperatures that most tires encounter while in service and how tire manufacturers can leverage theoretical analysis and experimental methods to optimize performance.

"As EVs gain more share of the global vehicle parc, optimizing range has made rolling resistance even more critical," said Derek Read, Vice President for Asia/Global Development. "Henry's team has done considerable research in this area, and what they've learned can help tire manufacturers reach their energy savings and carbon emission reduction goals."

He and a team of Smithers experts will be present in the exhibition hall at Booth 4028 to speak with visitors about their key tire development challenges covering everything from material development to on-vehicle testing. The team will be introducing a few new services launched in the last year:

• High- and low-temperature rolling resistance testing, for quantifying changes in rolling resistance at a wide range of ambient temperatures in a controlled laboratory environment.
• Simulated On-Vehicle Acceleration Testing (SOVAT). The SOVAT machine simulates a variety of real-world wear conditions at an accelerated rate, so tire manufacturers can better predict how their tires will react to road surfaces over time.
• Virtual Tire Lab combines a growing digital library of tire models with a full suite of cutting-edge development, simulation, and fitting tools, giving tire manufacturers and vehicle OEMs early insight into how their newest designs will perform in the real world.

As General Manager of the Smithers testing laboratory in Suzhou, China, Henry He oversees durability and performance testing of tires and wheels across the industry value chain. He received his Bachelor’s of Measurement and Control Technology and Instrumentation from Anhui Polytechnic University and MBA from East China Jiaotong University. He is a member of the China Rubber Industry Association and committee member of the China Technical Committee of Tire/Wheel Standardization.

Those interested in attending the 2026 Tire Technology Expo can register here.

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About Smithers:
Founded in 1925 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Smithers is a multinational provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services. With laboratories and operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, Smithers supports customers in the transportation, life science, packaging, materials, components, consumer, cannabis, dry commodities, and energy industries. Smithers delivers accurate data, on time, with high touch, by integrating science, technology, and business expertise, so customers can innovate with confidence.