PIRELLI ELECT FOR THE LOTUS ELETRE HYPER-SUV

Pirelli homologated 10 different tires to equip the Lotus Eletre, the British performance brand’s very first electric hyper-SUV. With different front and rear tire sizes, this new car benefits from a 22-inch (275/40R22, 315/35R22) and a 23-inch (275/35R23, 315/30R23) P Zero, both available with and without Seal Inside technology, as well as a 22-inch P Zero Corsa (275/40R22, 315/35R22). All these tires were designed to meet Eletre’s requirements, from world-class dynamic performance and excellent steering feel, to range and comfort in all driving conditions.

A testament to the dedicated development programme for these new tires is the LTS marking on the sidewalls, while the Elect marking identifies the package of technologies that complements the characteristics of electric vehicles.

“When developing high-performance tires for a dynamic BEV like the Lotus Eletre, we had to raise the technological level to identify new solutions that meet the needs of a market that is experiencing a real revolution, faster and more challenging than ever before. As with cars, tires are also changing in many more ways than they might appear. For us it is essential to work alongside prestige car manufacturers, such as Lotus, because it allows us to imagine and then carry out this evolution together.” – Dario Marrafuschi, Head of Product Pirelli.

“During the last several months, we conducted intensive testing on challenging tracks such as the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, and the Pirelli team did a great job developing tires with the absolutely right performance for our new and dynamic all-electric vehicle.” – Dr. Flavio Friesen, Senior Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integration of Lotus Tech Innovation Centre, Deputy General Manager of Lotus Tech Research Institute.

Pirelli’s Elect tires for the Lotus Eletre have an optimised footprint and specific compounds that maximize grip, reducing wheelspin under acceleration caused by the instant torque from electric motors. The tire engineers also worked on an optimized structure to provide outstanding handling performance and steering feel. Another focus, to deliver a well-balanced attribute setting, was acoustic comfort. Pirelli Elect tires are designed to reduce rolling resistance, making journeys quieter and more comfortable. These attributes are certified by the European tire label: all sizes have an ‘A’ rating for wet grip, and nearly all of them score ‘A’ for noise as well.

To make the 22 and 23-inch tires for the Lotus Eletre even safer, Seal Inside technology is available as an option, making its debut for tires of these sizes. Seal Inside is a self-sealing system that maintains the air pressure within a tire even after a puncture, allowing journeys to continue.

The bespoke P Zero and P Zero Corsa tires for the Lotus Eletre are the result of a state-of-the-art development process carried out with the help of virtual design tools. The tire specification was defined using 3D modelling before any physical prototypes were produced, allowing much more detail to be incorporated into the design cycle, and making the interaction between Pirelli and the carmaker even more efficient.