Pirelli advances in Mexico

The chairman of Pirelli, Marco Tronchetti Provera, and the managing director, Francesco Gori, met the president of the Republic of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, at his Mexico City residence on 30 March. Subject of the meeting was the project recently begun by Pirelli to bring to life the Group’s first factory in the country.

A plant is being built at Guanajuato for the production of high and ultra-high performance car and light commercial vehicle tyres destined for the internal market and especially for export to the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Area) countries, in particular the USA.

The installation is strategically located, will be equipped to respond to local production needs and transport and will be operational in early 2012. The unit represents an investment of about USD 210 million, will have a production capacity of around five million tyres in 2015 and a generation of around 700 direct plus 300 indirect jobs.

Also attending the meeting were Bruno Ferrari, Minister of the Economy, Carlos Guzmann, president of Promexico and Roberto Spinelli, the Italian ambassador to Mexico.

With the Cinturato P1 the roads are becoming greener

“The P1 has been launched to the European mass market with the objective of improving general performance and, in particular, rolling resistance: it will also be produced in Latin America and China, with characterisation and sizes linked to the different markets. But it isn’t an entry level tyre: if anything, it is a transverse tyre choice, suited to sporting or sporty cars without being part of the premium segment for that reason”.That is how Francesco Gori, MD of Pirelli Tyre, summarised our Cinturato P1 to the Italian monthly motoring magazine Quattroruote. The new product is currently undergoing its Italian and European press launch at Fasano, Puglia.

To better appreciate the characteristics of the new tyre, the Car BU decided on a press test route through the centuries old olive groves of Puglia: safety, driving pleasure, respect for the environment and versatility are emerging as the journalists drive through the most beautiful villages in the region aboard small and medium-size cars.

The Cinturato P1 made itself felt from its first official tests against competitors’ products in terms of fuel saving and reduced acoustic emissions. As a result of a 15% weight reduction and the use of technologically innovative solutions, the new Pirelli produces a reduction in rolling resistance of up to 25% and a lower level of external noise generation that ensures greater comfort and driving pleasure.

With the new P1, Pirelli consolidates its green performance strategy: in 2010, 37% of its sales were in ‘green’ products. With 27% of total world sales, the ecological Cinturato product line is already the most important and is destined to grow. In fact, the Cinturato P1 will also be launched in Latin America and Asia and will be available in the European replacement market by the end of 2011 in 14-inch to 16-inch diameters and has already been selected as original equipment by BMW.

The green side of the cinema

Pirelli has launched a new initiative in favour of the local community and environment in Brazil. It is called ‘Cineco’, which means ecological cinema, and is a project that intends to favour the spread of the cinematographic culture, marrying art and ecology. The initiative envisages the installation in communities and social centres of small cinematographic kiosks made of more than 14,000 recycled milk containers, plus the donation of books and DVDs on the cinema to promote the art and improve the conditions of community life among the needy.

The first kiosk has been installed at the Educandàrio Coração  de Maria, the community that cares for about 1,000 children aged between 3 and 15 of Amélia Rodrigues, Bahia, where there is no cinema.

A second kiosk has also been installed in the Zazinha Cerqueira di Feira senior citizens centre, where courses in painting and embroidery are held and in which around 300 old people take part.