The Tire Cologne 2024: New All-Season and Winter Tires, Specialists, and Sustainable Products from Pirelli

We had the opportunity to meet Wolfgang Meier, Managing Director of Pirelli Germany, who appeared very cheerful and deeply relaxed. Recently, investments at the Germany location have increased, and they have a lot of new things in store with some new all-rounders as well as some sharp specialists – all becoming more and more sustainable.

And even though winter tires suffer under the all-seasons, Pirelli has still stepped up there: The Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 is designed for high-performance vehicles and offers the highest rating "A" in the wet grip category on the EU tire label in all sizes at market launch, a point that is becoming increasingly important in warmer winters.

Pirelli takes the lead in sustainability – and differentiates finely

A total of 13 sizes in the range will be equipped with Elect technology, which Pirelli developed specifically for BEVs and PHEVs: these tires consist of more than 50% bio-based or recycled materials. Here we need to dig a little deeper: Due to a combination of physical separation and mass balance, the numbers must be viewed differently: Depending on the size of the tires, the proportion of "bio-based and recycled" materials varies between 15-16% and 34-35%, respectively.

Natural origin materials include natural rubber, natural origin chemicals, and bio-resins, while the recycled materials include metal reinforcements and, through a mass balance approach, synthetic rubber, silica, and carbon black. This information has been validated by Bureau Veritas according to ISO 14021, of which Meier is very proud. Even though he admits that tire manufacturing per se will always require energy – finally an honest statement on the subject!

Pirelli brings the first winter tire to achieve label "A" in rolling resistance!

And Meier loves high-tech: Pirelli is also continuing to develop the vehicle-related "socks": A version of the P Zero Winter 2 was developed with BMW specifically for the 7 series: It is the first winter tire for passenger cars to achieve the rating "A" on the EU tire label in rolling resistance, which is especially important for electric vehicles like the i7. The P Zero Winter 2 tires with Elect technology also feature the Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS), which reduces rolling noise by up to 3 dB due to a sound-absorbing sponge on the inner wall of the tire. In addition, the P Zero Winter 2 with Elect technology for the replacement market consists of more than 50% bio-based or recycled materials, certified by independent third parties according to ISO 14021. This feature is identified by a special marking on the sidewall, a logo that Pirelli recently introduced to mark products with at least 50% sustainable materials.

The tread of the P Zero Winter 2 has a directional design and differs visibly from its predecessor, which had an asymmetrical tread. The new design is intended to offer significant performance on snow due to uniform stiffness and grip across the entire contact patch, as well as improved braking and handling on dry roads.

The trick with the 3D sipes

The sipes with a 3D structure, according to Pirelli, enable consistent efficiency over the entire life of the tire. Clever: At the points where the rubber touches the ground, the sipes widen and then narrow inward. This increases traction on snow-covered surfaces while optimizing handling. The main grooves are interconnected transversely by smaller sipes, forming a pattern that ensures grip on slippery surfaces under all driving conditions. The tread compound is designed to provide balanced and safe behavior on various winter road surfaces.

The new range for the replacement market includes 35 sizes between 18 and 22 inches. Several original equipment projects are also underway, including with Mercedes-Benz for the AMG GT and with Aston Martin for an upcoming model. BMW homologated the P Zero Winter 2 as winter equipment for the 7 series to further enhance the vehicle's specific characteristics.