The second edition of the IAA Mobility in Munich, the successor to the Frankfurt Motor Show, has focused on innovations and changes in the automotive world. There were plenty of electric innovations,and which brand was most prevalent on these vehicles? Pirelli. The Milan-based company has indeed established itself as a leader in "green" automotive tires.
Pirelli equipped almost 25% of the BEV cars and 30% of the plug-in hybrids. These cars were fitted with products from several different families – from P Zero to Scorpion – but all featured the Elect marking that denotes tyres created specifically for electric cars. From its launch in 2019 to today, Elect technology has already exceeded 300 homologations: tyres that are specifically adapted to the needs of individual models. It's worth noting that compared to the same period last year, new approvals in the first half of 2023 have grown at more than double the speed (+125%).
The only hydrogen car at the IAA Mobility Show, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, was also equipped with Pirelli tyres. This particular car is fitted with the FSC®-marked P Zero: the only tyre in the world made with natural rubber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®.
“The leadership we have achieved in electric mobility underlines the innovation of our research and development division. Pirelli is the only manufacturer to have transverse technology for electric cars that is still applicable to all our other product lines.” explained Piero Misani, SVP R&D and Cyber at Pirelli. ”This approach allows us greater versatility to offer car manufacturers tailor-made tyres best suited to the specific characteristics of each car. The demand for bespoke BEV and PHEV tyres is growing faster and faster, with the debut of the new P Zero E set to enhance yet more Elect homologation approvals.”
The only hydrogen car at the IAA Mobility Show, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, was also equipped with Pirelli tyres. This particular car is fitted with the FSC®-marked P Zero: the only tyre in the world made with natural rubber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®.
PIRELLI ELECT: SOME FEATURES
To support the weight of a battery-powered vehicle and the instant torque delivered by the electric motor, Elect tires are made with structures and materials capable of withstanding these stresses and responding with greater responsiveness, making them more durable. Additionally, to ensure acoustic comfort during driving, Pirelli technology allows cabin noise to be reduced by up to 20%1. Battery range is equally important, and this can be extended by tyres with reduced rolling resistance. Tests carried out by Pirelli have shown how mileage can be increased by up to 10% on a full charge2
PIRELLI P ZERO E: 100% ELECT ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE
The new Pirelli P Zero E, a high-performance tire designed for electric vehicles, is ready to hit the market with Elect technology as standard in all sizes. This is the first tyre made using more than 55% of materials of natural and recycled origin3 (independently verified by Bureau Veritas) and the only UHP (ultra high performance) tyre on the market to have obtained a triple A label score throughout the entire range.
* FSC License Code: N003618
1. Comparison between PIRELLI SCORPION™ ELECT™ and PIRELLI SCORPION™ tyres on size 255/50R20. Source: Pirelli R&D internal tests carried out in November 2022 on an Audi e-Tron. In cabin noise has been measured at different speed - 40-60-80-110 Km/h - and on different types of surfaces (smooth / rough asphalt). In all eight combinations (speed/asphalt) ELECT™ tyres resulted in less perceived internal noise, on average by around -0.6DB and up to -0.8DB
2.~20% Rolling Resistance reduction vs a non-ELECT™ tire. Comparison between PIRELLI SCORPION™ ELECT™ and PIRELLI SCORPION™ tyres on size 235/60/R18. Source: Internal Pirelli R&D tests carried out between March - June 2022 on a Volkswagen iD4, measuring the reduction of rolling resistance and the equivalent battery range gain. The measurement has been conducted through instrumented conditions and at constant speed (@50km/h) in a range of 550 km
3.Thanks to a combination of physical segregation and mass balance approach. Depending on tyre size, bio-based and recycled content ranges between 29-31% and 25-27% respectively. Bio-based materials are natural rubber, textile reinforcements, bio-chemicals, bio-resins and lignin, while recycled materials are metallic reinforcements, chemicals and - through mass balance - synthetic rubber, silica and carbon black. According to ISO 14021
