The 21 Year History Of Pirelli & Their Run-Flat Tyres
Etyres stocks an array of premium tyre brands that offer exceptional performance and longevity. With Pirelli being one of the most popular brands, we wanted to take a look into the history and their popular run-flat tyres and the evolution of their technology.
Run-flat technology was introduced to select Pirelli tyres in 2001 and has been expertly designed to allow motorists to continue driving for a short while after a puncture has occurred in order to reach a safe destination to either fix or change the tyre. This technology was tried and tested for the first time whilst featuring a reinforced structure that had been designed to allow extended driving after a puncture which would otherwise cost motorists time stranded on the side of the road.
With extensive, non-stop research and technology development into new performance processes and materials, Pirelli has improved driving comfort for all its drivers, but cars equipped with run-flat tyres especially. Thanks to the technology and tyre structure, Pirelli’s run-flat tyres have helped improve not only the driver’s comfort but rolling resistance, reduced fuel consumption and fewer Co2 emissions.
The tyres have been built to absorb bumps in the road and they offer similar levels of comfort as regular tyres. They also are able to drive up to 50 miles after getting a puncture at speeds of up to 50mph. The suspension characteristics of the Pirelli run-flat tyre used as original equipment should encourage drivers to always fit run-flats to their vehicle to maximise the performance of their car.
Electric Vehicles & Run Flat Tyres
When it comes to space in electric vehicles, there usually isn’t much room for any spare tyres due to the car needing more space for the batteries. Several manufacturers choose to extend mobility solutions such as run-flat or self-sealing tyres to minimise inconvenience and allow the driver to get to a shop in time to fix the puncture without needing a spare. The developments in electric vehicles and being more and more popular as a choice for motorists means drivers can be more eco-conscious. Run-flat technology is also expected to play an important role in future autonomous driving systems. This is because the car can remain operative even in the most hazardous road conditions or events.
Over the last 20 years, Pirelli engineers have developed more than a thousand different versions of tyres with run-flat technology and over 70 million run-flat tyres have been produced today. The solution has now been adopted by many different manufacturers who have requested run-flat tyres as original equipment on their vehicles such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Pirelli has produced a massive range of run-flat tyres from summer, to winter and all-season tyres. Some of these have been fitted to the most prestigious cars including the entire BMW and Mini range.
The run-flat technologies are available in more than 50 models of Pirelli tyres, and all can be identified through the markings on the sidewalls. The sidewall will read “run-flat” as well as denoting the individual vehicle manufacturer they are intended for if original equipment. On some tyres, this technology is combined with Pirelli Elect and PNCs noise-cancelling technology. These are dedicated to electric vehicles helping to lower the rolling resistance, reduce tyre noise and enhance the grip and structure that has been specially designed to support the weight of the battery-powered vehicles. In the event of a puncture in most portions of the tyre, a sealing substance inside the tyre forms a seal around the foreign object as soon as it penetrates the tyre, preventing air from escaping and the tyre from losing pressure. When the foreign object is extracted, the same material seals up the edges of the resulting hole, until the tyre can be repaired, so drivers can carry on driving with control and comfort. Shop some of our favourites on the etyres website such as the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2 or the Pirelli Cinturato P1.
