NEW YORK — Pirelli & C. S.p.A. said it has obtained more than 500 OE homologations for its Elect tires since the battery electric- (BEV) and plug-in-electric hybrid (PHEV)-vehicle specific tire was launched in 2019.
Pirelli said the tires provide as much as 30 miles more range compared with regular tires, saving up to $160 per year. Several premium car manufacturers are using the tire on their vehicles, Pirelli said.
"The number of homologations obtained from major manufacturers confirms the validity of the path we have chosen to follow, which is to offer technology that can be adapted to the vehicle, to the tire, and to seasonality," Pirelli Chief Technical Officer Piero Misani said.
Pirelli claims that seven out of 10 "premium" and "prestige" car makers are using Pirelli tires for their battery and/or plug-in EV models. The company did not provide a list of the companies.
"The most modern development tools, such as virtualization and artificial intelligence, allow us to design products that are increasingly in line with the technical and performance requirements of EVs," Misani said.
Pirelli said its Elect tires have increased grip, thanks to" innovative compounds," managing the high torque of electric motors, and reinforced structures to cope with the load of EVs. Pirelli said the compound helps to reduce tire wear by up to 20%.
Pirelli Elect technology debuted with the first-generation Porsche Taycan's P Zeros, the company said, and it is now offered on several Pirelli product lines, including an increasing percentage of winter (22%) and all-season (17%) tires.
