Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli has announced a new high load (HL) index tire that will make its debut on the upcoming Lucid Air sedan. This HL tire was designed specifically for electric cars and SUVs to support heavier weight from batteries while maintaining a low rolling resistance.
Pirelli is a multinational tire manufacturer based in Milan, Italy, that is approaching its 150th birthday next year. With that tenure comes a wealth of experience and knowledge in designing tires, from Formula One to motorcycles and passenger vehicles.
The Lucid Air will be the flagship electric offering from Lucid Motors, set to begin deliveries sometime in the second half of this year. The American automaker has continued to keep the public updated with news surrounding the progress of the Air’s production, most recently announcing its service program as well as details of its vehicle warranty.
When the Lucid Air finally hits roads in 2021, it will sit upon specifically designed Pirelli tires.
Pirelli and Lucid team up to design a custom tire
In a press release today, Pirelli has officially announced its P ZERO HL tire, which will first be used on the Lucid Air sedan. According to the tire manufacturer, these high load tires are able to support 20% more weight compared to a standard tire and 6-9% more weight than an extra load XL tire of the same size.
As part of Pirelli’s “perfect fit” strategy, these high load P ZERO tires were jointly developed with Lucid Motors to stay up to par with the EV’s performance standards. As a result, future Air owners will notice “LM1” marked on the sidewalls, a nod to Pirelli’s custom design.
Lucid and other future EVs will also benefit from Pirelli’s Elect technologies in the P ZERO tire. Pirelli Elect offers low rolling resistance to increase range, as well as reduced rolling noise to offer a quieter ride. Furthermore, the tires are manufactured with a compound engineered for grip to handle the instant torque electric powertrains deliver.
The additional focus on high load capacity makes the tires further capable of supporting the weight of a heavy battery pack. Pierangelo Misani, Pirelli’s Senior Vice President of R&D and Cyber elaborates:
The search for cutting-edge technical solutions has always been at the very heart of Pirelli’s business. The attention we devote to all new forms of sustainable mobility now leads us to technology that is capable of anticipating the future demands of car manufacturers for their new electric and hybrid vehicles, which increasingly require specialized performance from tires.
The Pirelli P ZERO tire that will emerge on the Lucid Air will be available in the following sizes: HL 245/35R21 99 Y XL on the front axle and HL 265/ 35R21 103 Y XL on the rear axle.
As previously mentioned, the first trim of the Lucid Air, called Dream Edition, is set to deliver sometime in 2021.
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Author: Scooter Doll
Source: Electrek
