PIRELLI: FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY AT TIRE COLOGNE 2024

Milan, June 4, 2024. Pirelli takes centre stage at The Tire Cologne 2024 – the most important tire show in Europe – featuring advanced technology and a strong commitment to sustainability.

The hero is the Pirelli P Zero Winter 2: a winter tire for high-performance cars, which enjoys the highest classification on the European label for wet grip in all sizes from launch. A total of 13 sizes in the range will be equipped with Elect technology, created specifically for BEVs and PHEVs. These tires are made with over 50% bio-based or recycled materials (as independently certified), which will be displayed in an area of the stand dedicated to sustainability. A version of the P Zero Winter 2 made to the specific requirements of the BMW 7 Series will also be at the show: the first winter car tire to score 'class A' in rolling resistance. This is a key attribute for electrified cars in particular, allowing them to save energy and cover more miles on a single charge.

The Pirelli stand also features a tire equipped with Pirelli Cyber Track Adrenaline technology: the P Zero Trofeo RS developed for the Audi RS 4 Avant edition 25 years. This is designed for track day enthusiasts who benefit from a 'virtual assistant' in the form of an app powered by sensors inside the tires, helping drivers make the most of their car-tire package on a circuit.

Pirelli has introduced the P Zero Winter 2, an evolution of the famous winter tire dedicated to high-performance models. Pirelli's R&D team used virtual design to create a product that's completely different from its predecessor, which had already demonstrated excellent results in different usage conditions.

The new tire has been developed in specific versions, for drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid cars as well, with 13 sizes available at launch featuring Pirelli Elect: a package of technologies that enhances the characteristics of electric vehicles. These P Zero Winter 2 tires with Elect technology also feature Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS), which reduces rolling noise by up to 3 dB thanks to a sound-absorbing sponge applied to the tire's inner wall.

Additionally, the P Zero Winter 2 replacement range with Elect technology is made with over 50% bio-based or recycled materials* (which are third-party certified according to ISO 14021). This feature is recognizable from the bespoke marking on the sidewall, a logo recently introduced by Pirelli to identify products with a sustainable materials content of at least 50%.

The tread of the P Zero Winter 2 has a directional design and is visibly different from its predecessor, which had an asymmetric tread pattern. The new design brings substantial performance on snow, as well as better braking and handling on dry surfaces, thanks to uniform stiffness and grip over the entire contact area. The sipes, with a 3D structure that guarantees consistent efficiency over the entire tire life, are wider where the rubber touches the ground and then narrow inwards. This increases grip on snow-covered surfaces while optimizing driving performance. The main grooves are connected to each other transversely by smaller sipes, forming a pattern designed to offer adhesion to slippery surfaces in all sorts of driving conditions.

The tread compound is designed to deliver balanced behaviour on different winter surfaces. In particular, the new P Zero Winter 2 boasts the highest rating on the European label for wet grip (class A) across the entire range.

The new replacement range includes 35 sizes between 18 and 22 inches. There are also several original equipment projects underway with some of the world’s best-known car manufacturers, such as Mercedes for the AMG GT, and Aston Martin for an upcoming release. BMW is among the first to choose this new product, having homologated the P Zero Winter 2 as winter equipment for the 7 Series, enhancing the car's specific characteristics. Designed to reduce the traditional performance gap to the equivalent summer product, the P Zero Winter 2 offers the driving pleasure and comfort synonymous with BMW’s electric saloon car even in the coldest months. This is the first winter tire with sufficiently low rolling resistance to merit 'class A' on the European tyre label.

*Thanks to a combination of physical segregation and mass balance. Depending on the size of the tires, the content of 'bio-based and recycled' materials varies between 15-16% and 34-35% respectively. Materials of natural origin are natural rubber, chemicals of natural origin and bio-resins, while recycled materials are metal reinforcements and – through a mass balance approach – synthetic rubber, silica and carbon black. This claim has been validated according to ISO 14021 by Bureau Veritas.