Tires, being the only component of a vehicle that directly contacts the road, significantly influence both performance and efficiency. Tire manufacturer Pirelli and automotive supplier Bosch are collaborating on a project that aims to integrate tires as part of vehicle sensing systems to enhance these qualities.
The two companies announced a joint development agreement on Tuesday for tires equipped with embedded sensors. They claim these innovations could provide “greater safety, comfort, and sustainability, along with improved driving dynamics.”
Pirelli and Bosch to develop data-transmitting tires
These enhancements will be enabled by data sent from the in-tire sensors to the vehicle’s onboard systems. This process allows for more precise adjustments to various vehicle parameters based on road conditions. Bosch and Pirelli have already tested this technology with specialized Pirelli tires designed for the Pagani Utopia supercar, which relay data directly to a stability control system supplied by Bosch.
The announcement did not specify whether this technology would allow Pirelli to better create tires tailored for the specific needs of electric vehicles (EVs). Due to their heavier weights and powerful motors, EVs tend to wear out tires more rapidly, an issue that tire manufacturer Michelin has noted poses environmental challenges.
In response, Michelin is promoting airless tires as a potential future solution for EVs. They told Green Car Reports that such tires could help reduce waste caused by the premature disposal of tires due to sidewall damage or punctures, while also accommodating the weight of EVs.
Reducing rolling resistance is crucial for helping EVs achieve their maximum range and enabling hybrids to optimize fuel efficiency. In fact, California has considered implementing standards for replacement tire efficiency to guarantee that cars originally equipped with efficiency-oriented tires will have comparable low-resistance replacements when the time comes for a tire change. It remains to be seen whether connected tires will play a role in this future or complicate straightforward goals of efficiency.
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