Enso named finalists in Earthshot prize for EV tyres

London-based specialist Electric Vehicle (EV) tyre technology company Enso has been named as one of the 15 global finalists for The Earthshot Prize, which was launched by Prince William in 2020.

The five Winners of this year’s Prize will be selected by Prince William and the prestigious Earthshot Prize Council, whose members include: Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Cate Blanchett, Sir David Attenborough, Ernest Gibson, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Indra Nooyi, Jack Ma, Luisa Neubauer, Naoko Yamazaki, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Yao Ming.

Enso reports that it is developing tyres for EVs that “reduce harmful tyre pollution, whilst improving durability, performance and maintaining a cost-effective product for consumers”. Enso and the other finalists were selected from more than 1,100 nominations. Enso aims to manufacture over one million low-emission tyres annually by 2026 and reports that it is expanding into North America next year.

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, founder and CEO of Enso commented: “We urgently need to talk about tyres and how they pollute our air. Tyre pollution is a pressing problem for all vehicles, including electric vehicles, so while we can’t make a tyre last forever, we can make them last a lot longer, and pollute a lot less. Enso’s technology, values and scalable business model helps to Clean our Air, paving the way for a better future for us all. By doubling tyre durability, we can halve tyre pollution, it’s as simple as that. Thank you to The Earthshot Prize, for highlighting the impact of tire pollution and recognising our efforts to help us all live and breathe a bit easier”.

According to Enso, as the global automotive industry makes the necessary switch to EVs, the unabating problem of tyre pollution risks undermining the proven environmental benefits of the EV transition. Along with its emissions-reducing product strategy, Enso is deploying a Tyres-as-a-Service business model focussed on longevity rather than volume of sales.

Enso’s tyres have already achieved ‘A’ energy efficiency ratings and are now being fitted to EV taxi and delivery fleets in London.