Pirelli "shoes" the hybrid crossover Lotus For Me
Pirelli, long-time technological partner of Lotus, has developed tires for the new hybrid crossover For Me, based on the electric vehicle Eletre, for which the Italian company also supplies tires.
The Lotus For Me is equipped with the latest generation Pirelli P Zero tires in sizes 265/45 R21 at the front and 285/45 R21 at the rear, and Pirelli says this configuration has been chosen with the vehicle's weight distribution and high torque in mind. The front tires are designed to improve steering response and handling combined with reduced braking distances, while the rear tires enhance acceleration and braking efficiency as well as cornering stability, and the manufacturer notes that "a synergistic and balanced operation of the tires on both axles" is ensured.
The tires for the For Me also feature a slightly modified tread pattern, while the modified rubber compound has reduced rolling resistance, and Pirelli emphasizes that efficiency has been improved without compromising other parameters such as grip and stability on dry and wet roads, as well as maneuverability, which is traditionally a distinctive feature of Lotus sports cars. The tires are also made using PNCS technology (a layer of polyurethane is added to the structure to reduce noise) and are marked with the Elect label, meaning that rolling resistance has been reduced and traction has been increased in accordance with the characteristics of vehicles with new energy sources. The first Elect-labeled tires were introduced in 2019, and the company notes that they are now widely used on electric and hybrid vehicles, "becoming the industry standard".
In developing the tires for the new Lotus, virtual modeling and artificial intelligence technologies were used, which, according to the manufacturer, "not only significantly improved the understanding of tire characteristics in complex operating conditions, but also reduced the development cycle and optimized resource consumption". At the next stage, Pirelli and Lotus conducted numerous real-world tests to confirm the results obtained, and at this stage, both individual tire characteristics and their interaction with the vehicle were evaluated, with particular attention paid to structural strength, tread durability, wet grip, and energy efficiency.
According to Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng, "it's not just about speed, but also about handling, and true driving pleasure can only be achieved when you have full control over the car, and the 'shoes' chosen for the car play a key role in achieving this".
Feng added that usually, increasing grip, durability, and energy efficiency are conflicting goals, but "close collaboration with Pirelli has allowed us to overcome this contradiction, and the P Zero tires specially developed for the For Me provide excellent grip in all conditions, both on dry and wet roads".
"Not using high-quality tires means depriving yourself of driving pleasure, and we at Lotus have always insisted that true performance should be felt on every inch of the road," the head of the automaker concluded.