Major tire brands like Goodyear and Michelin are shuttering historic North American plants at an alarming rate. Once celebrated as permanent fixtures of domestic manufacturing, these massive facilities are now heavy liabilities. The industry is undergoing a ruthless transformation, leaving outdated and inflexible factories completely in the dust as production shifts to automated plants. The catalyst for this shift is a severe change in consumer demand and modern vehicle engineering. Manufacturers are struggling to balance production costs as massive electric vehicles dominate the roads, requiring entirely different rubber compounds and load ratings than traditional passenger cars. The market built for standard sedans simply no longer exists. Massive Tire Plant Closures Expose a Brutal New Reality for American Drivers - Autoblog
