Background
XINGXI partnered with a North American customer to co-develop a dedicated winter tire tread pattern. The customer was deeply involved throughout the process — contributing their own mold design — and worked with our team on joint design, testing and mass production. The resulting tires have sold exceptionally well in their local market.
The North American Winter Tire Context
Winter tires in North America are not an option but a necessity in many regions:
Harsh winters — the northern United States and Canada experience heavy snow, ice and extreme cold for several months each year
Regulatory push — provinces like Quebec mandate winter tires by law; many U.S. states and Canadian provinces strongly recommend or require them in winter conditions
3PMSF recognition — the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol is the key quality signal consumers look for, indicating certified snow performance
DOT compliance — all tires sold in the U.S. market must meet DOT standards
The Challenge
The customer wanted a differentiated product — not another generic winter tire from a catalog, but a pattern they could call their own
Local market preferences required specific tread characteristics: strong snow traction, ice-biting sipes, and stable wet handling on cleared roads
Off-the-shelf patterns from other suppliers failed to match their customers' expectations in previous seasons
Mold development typically requires significant upfront investment — the customer needed a partner who could share the technical workload
How XINGXI Co-Developed the Pattern
Customer mold input — the customer provided their own mold design as the starting point. Our engineering team reviewed it against production feasibility and winter performance requirements, then optimized the design jointly.
Joint pattern design — snow traction blocks, high-density siping for ice grip, and optimized groove channels for slush evacuation were refined through multiple design iterations with the customer's feedback loop.
Prototype testing — sample tires were produced and tested for snow traction, wet braking and noise. Adjustments were made based on both laboratory results and the customer's local road feedback.
Mass production — after pattern approval, we moved to flexible-MOQ mass production with strict quality control, ensuring consistent rubber compounds and tread profile across batches.
The Result
The co-developed winter tire pattern launched successfully in the customer's local market
Sales performance was excellent — the differentiated pattern gave the customer a product advantage over generic competitors
The customer now owns a unique product identity in their market, strengthening their brand and pricing power
The partnership demonstrates XINGXI's full ODM capability: from customer-provided mold to joint design, testing and scaled production
Key Facts
Market: North America
Product: Co-developed winter tire (studless) with customer-provided mold
Process: Joint design → Prototype testing → Flexible-MOQ mass production
Outcome: Excellent local sales, differentiated market position
