Many electric cars offer rapid acceleration, with 0-60mph times below four seconds. Hard to imagine why eco-conscious buyers would want Touring Car level performance away from the lights, but there we are. The downside, apart from incompetent drivers who aren’t used to the power, crashing heavy SUVs into people or solid objects, is that normal tyres tend to get shredded fairly quickly. That puts microscopic bits of car tyres – which are oil based, not made from rubber tree rainforests – all over the roads in urban areas. Kinda polluting really.
The solution for this drag strip performance, plus the sheer weight of many EVs, are bigger, harder compound tyres. Bigger footprint equals more traction, plus you engineer the tread pattern for the least rolling resistance, which means in theory your battery car should go slightly further on a full charge. All good.
Here’s the word;
Bridgestone, a global leader in premium tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, has been chosen by Maserati to develop bespoke 20’’ tyres for its first all-electric SUV, the Maserati Grecale Folgore. After recent collaborations including fitments for the Maserati MC20 supercar and the Maserati Grecale, Maserati looked to its long-term partner for a tyre that could enhance the on-road capabilities of its first-ever all-electric SUV. Bridgestone responded with custom-developed Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN tyres, its flagship ultra-high performance tyre.
Providing top performance in dry conditions and supported by a premium wet package, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN has been custom engineered to keep Maserati Grecale Folgore drivers in control with superior handling performance in challenging conditions on both dry and wet surfaces.
The bespoke Bridgestone tyre delivers against the Maserati Grecale Folgore’s specific needs and enhances its performance thanks to the use of ENLITEN Technology, Bridgestone’s innovative approach to tyre development. This combination of multiple cutting-edge technologies provides maximum safety and outstanding tyre performance for Maserati Grecale Folgore drivers, while improving the sustainability characteristics of the tyre.
Driving the electric revolution forward
Alongside a successful, long-term partnership, Bridgestone and Maserati also share a strong commitment to electrification. The Bridgestone tyre specifically developed for the new Maserati Grecale Folgore delivers very low rolling resistance performance – achieving a best-in-class EU Label A-grade – to extend the Maserati Grecale Folgore’s 500km range.
Through a fully integrated approach, Bridgestone is investing to make electric mobility more efficient and accessible to drivers and fleets. The company is pioneering premium tyres and tyre technologies for EVs, as well as dedicated fleet and mobility solutions, while partnering with leading EV manufacturers and developing an EV-ready retail and service network. On its side, Maserati is the first Italian luxury brand to launch 100 percent electric vehicles, with a commitment to produce electric versions of all its models by 2025 and full-electric vehicles alone by 2028.
Consistent with Maserati’s deep-rooted Italian heritage, the Maserati Grecale Folgore was designed and produced in Italy, and so were its bespoke Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN tyres.
Bridgestone’s proprietary Virtual Tyre Development technologies was combined with Maserati’s driving simulator to ensure that the bespoke tyre could be created and tested in a digital environment – reducing physical prototyping and testing, cutting raw material consumption and carbon emissions, and enabling a faster time to market.
Speaking on this announcement was Steven De Bock, Vice President Original Equipment at Bridgestone EMEA: “The Grecale Folgore is a historic launch for Maserati on its pioneering electrification journey, and we’re very proud to help bring its performance to life with Bridgestone tyres. We both have a strong commitment to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles; it’s a great moment to see our collaboration break new ground in electric mobility.”
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