Linglong Tire's Zhou Lingkun: Breaking the Industry Turning Point with "Three Upward" Strategy

Currently, the Chinese tire industry stands at a historical turning point: profound adjustments in the global economic and trade landscape, new energy vehicle penetration rates breaking 60%, and competition shifting from low prices to technology leadership. How can leading enterprises break the deadlock? Recently, Linglong Tire President Zhou Lingkun stated in an exclusive interview with Xinhua Finance that the industry reshuffle provides a key window for leading enterprises to improve quality and advance. Linglong will adopt a fusion growth strategy of "brand upward, product upward, channel upward" to build core confidence to traverse the cycle.

Convergence of Three Waves, Turning Point Creates Window for Advancement

Zhou Lingkun summarized the current industry changes as the "superposition of three waves": first is "if you don't go global, you lose out" brought by adjustments in the global economic and trade landscape; second is "overtaking by changing lanes" brought by the rise in new energy penetration; in July 2026, China's retail penetration rate of new energy passenger cars exceeded 60%, and tire demand is shifting from wear-resistant and fuel-saving to quiet, smart, and safe; third is the brand elevation from low-price competition to technology leadership.

Based on trends, Linglong has made comprehensive layouts. Regarding going global, the Thailand factory has an annual production capacity exceeding 17.2 million units; the Serbia factory, as the first production base for Chinese tire enterprises in Europe, has passed the audit of Volkswagen, Audi, and BMW, with sales volume increasing by 159.74% year-on-year in 2025. On the new energy track, Linglong is a leader rather than a follower, having received Frost & Sullivan certification for five consecutive years since 2020 as a global leading new energy vehicle OE tire manufacturer, supplying mainstream brands such as FAW Hongqi, BYD, Seres, and Leapmotor. In terms of branding, Linglong has entered the supply system of more than 70 car brands globally, with eight of the top ten car companies worldwide as partners, and the brand value reached 121.236 billion yuan in 2026.

"Three Upward" Fusion Closed Loop, Systematically Breaking High-End Bottlenecks

"The three dimensions are not promoted in isolation but form a fusion growth closed loop." Zhou Lingkun explained: Brand Upward, the core is moving from "Chinese mainstream" to "Global mainstream", Linglong has overcome joint venture barriers such as Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen, with cumulative global supply exceeding 300 million units, and expanded international influence by partnering with top sports IPs such as Real Madrid and Chelsea; Product Upward, the core is moving from "catching up" to "keeping pace", the newly released Linglong Master II achieved stable performance throughout the full lifecycle for the first time, supported by the "three generations simultaneous" R&D system; Channel Upward, the core is upgrading from "sales terminals" to "service positions", nearly 30,000 partner stores nationwide will achieve "same-day delivery" relying on the four-level distribution system.

R&D Determination Builds Generational Gap, Aiming for World Top 5 by 2030

"The core foundation of the 'Three Upward' is technical R&D." Zhou Lingkun stated that Linglong's R&D investment in 2025 was 978 million yuan, with cumulative expenditures exceeding 3.461 billion yuan in the recent four years, maintaining an industry high of about 4% of revenue for four consecutive years. Since 2026, 144 new patent authorizations have been obtained, an increase of 87.01% year-on-year. R&D focuses on three major areas: high-end supply technology, new materials, and digital intelligence, among which 85% of sustainable material tires have reached the EU tire label Grade A standard.

Looking to the future, Zhou Lingkun gave clear goals: striving to break through 160 million units in production and sales by 2030, with sales revenue exceeding 80 billion yuan, and production capacity entering the world's top five. To this end, Linglong will adhere to the globalization layout of "where the OEM goes, the factory builds", consolidate the first position in new energy supply, and deepen digital intelligence transformation, installing "AI new tires" for global operations.

"High-quality enterprises and innovative technologies can still traverse the cycle." Zhou Lingkun stated that the improvement of Chinese tire brand influence is an irreversible trend, and Linglong will firmly promote the continuous rise of Chinese tire brand value globally.