When Porsche decided to transform the Cayenne into an electric SUV, the task entrusted to Pirelli was not simply to adapt a tyre already in its range, but to redesign it from the ground up for a car capable of transferring to the ground levels of instant torque never seen before in this segment and, in the Turbo version, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds. The result is a range of six fitments from the P Zero family – three summer tyres, two winter tyres and one All Season – each designed for a different personality of the car and a different season of the year.
One Cayenne, six tyres
The collaboration between the Pirelli and Porsche research and development centres has produced a complete range specifically designed for the new Cayenne Electric: the fifth-generation P Zero, which balances performance, efficiency and range; the P Zero R, reserved for the most extreme Cayenne Turbo; two winter tyres; and one All Season. This selection of solutions reflects the Pirelli Perfect Fit philosophy, according to which each model is developed with a tyre tailor-made around the car's specific characteristics and performance.
All the fitments feature Pirelli Elect, the package of technologies developed to meet the specific requirements of electric powertrains and improve the performance of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles: it reduces rolling resistance to extend range and contain charging costs, provides the grip required to manage very high levels of drive torque, improves wear resistance and lowers noise, an aspect that becomes immediately noticeable in electric vehicles.
An entirely virtual development process
The real technological leap lies in the way these tyres were created. Even on a particularly complex project such as this, Pirelli developed the entire range of fitments for the Cayenne Electric in a virtual environment, testing compounds, structures and sizes before building a single physical prototype. This choice made it possible to refine the SUV's steering precision and stability even in the most demanding conditions, those generated by the electric all-wheel-drive system under dynamic loads, while dramatically shortening development times compared with traditional methods.
P Zero: range, sporting character and safety in wet conditions
The fifth-generation P Zero is available in 21- and 22-inch sizes, with two different configurations for the front and rear axles. The low rolling resistance compounds help maximise battery range, while the performance typical of Porsche makes it possible to tackle critical manoeuvres such as a high-speed lane change without losing stability, with particular attention paid to safety in wet conditions.
P Zero R for the Cayenne Electric Turbo
For the Cayenne Turbo, the version that accelerates to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, Pirelli developed the P Zero R, available in a 22-inch size, with distinct configurations for the two axles.
Its Ultra High Performance compound draws directly on Pirelli's experience on the racetrack, adapted here to manage the greater weight of the Cayenne Electric and its more demanding wear requirements. The objective was ambitious: to approach the performance of the semi-slick P Zero Trofeo RS while remaining a road-legal tyre. Thanks to a maximised contact patch and different compounds for the two axles, all the instant torque generated by the electric motors is transformed into pure longitudinal thrust, with a precise and responsive reaction throughout every phase of driving.
Scorpion for winter and All Season
Completing the Pirelli range developed for the Porsche Cayenne Electric are the Scorpion Winter 2, a fitment homologated for the winter season and available in 20- and 22-inch sizes, and the Scorpion MS, the 20-inch All Season tyre.
