The traditional collaboration between Pirelli and Ferrari continues with the development of bespoke P Zero tyres for the Maranello-based manufacturer’s Monza SP1 and SP2. The new Ferrari Monza models will wear Pirelli P Zero rubber in size 275/30 R21 at the front and 315/30 R21 at the back.
Ford has extended its original equipment business with Apollo Vredestein by selecting the Vredestein Quatrac 5 for fitment on the latest Ford Fiesta. For the past year, the Ford EcoSport has been also available from the factory equipped with the Vredestein Sportrac 5.
We heard in June that Goodyear was supplying original equipment tyres to the new Volkswagen Touareg, and Apollo Vredestein now shares that it will supply two 18-inch fitments to the latest version of VW’s flagship SUV. Buyers selecting an all-season fitment as standard can select the Vredestein Quatrac 5 in size 255/60 R18 108V, while those preferring summer rubber can plump for the Vredestein Ultrac Satin in size 255/60 R18 108W.
The Audi e-tron, launched today in San Francisco some three years after appearing as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, features three electric motor that give it 800Nm of torque, the ability to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds and, driven carefully, a range of up to 310 miles. And this first fully-electric SUV from Audi comes with Goodyear tyres.
It isn’t just Pirelli tyres that have gained original equipment approval for the new BMW X4 – Yokohama Rubber will also supply its Advan Sport V105 to the all-new model. Two sizes of Yokohama Advan tyres are available as a factory fitment on the BMW X4, 225/60R18 104W and the run-flat 245/50R19 105W fitment.
Shandong Linglong will ship original equipment tyres to Volkswagen and Renault from its planned factory in Serbia. This is the news shared by Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić on his website today. Vučić writes that Wang Feng shared news that the factory would supply the two vehicle manufacturers once production begins in 2020.
The second-generation BMW X4, presented at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March, is available with Pirelli tyres as original equipment. The tyre maker shares that BMW Group recently approved the following Pirelli products for the BMW X4:
Aston Martin has named Pirelli an official technical partner for its Rapide E. The first all-electric Aston Martin will be equipped with Pirelli P Zero tyres as original equipment, but as Pirelli comments, there’s “no such thing as a generic P Zero anymore.” Instead, each P Zero tyre is “created specifically for the model it is fitted to.”
Sumitomo Rubber Industries has begun supplying its Falken Ziex ZE001 A/S to Subaru Corporation as an original equipment tyre for its new Forester, which goes on sale this autumn. The Forester will be available with a factory-fitted size 225/55R18 98H version of the Ziex ZE001 A/S in North American and Chinese markets.
As of next month, the Valtra A Series tractor will be available with Continental tyres as original equipment. AGCO’s homologation of the Tractor70 and Tractor85 hands Continental its very first agricultural tyre original equipment approval since its return to the segment late last year. Continental agricultural tyres are already available from Valtra Unlimited Studio, the manufacturer’s in-house customisation workshop that fits accessories and equipment not available directly from the production line.
Avon Motorcycle Tyres says it is capitalising on the recent surge of interest in British bike brands, adding original equipment fitment contracts to its roster and responding to increased demand for premium whitewall tyres.
According to Bridgestone Corporation, its global investments in research and development are the highest in the industry – it invested more than £710 million in this area last year – and the company says they’ve paid off. As evidence, the tyre maker points to the more than 45 original equipment fitments it has landed on more than 15 vehicle models since the start of 2018. What’s more, over 60 additional fitments are expected to come by the end of this year.
The Maxxis Group’s first tyre factory in India opened in March. The facility in Gujarat state was set up with an investment of US$400 million and began operating with an initial daily capacity of 20,000 tyres and 40,000 tubes. Maxxis Rubber India shares that original equipment tyres have now begun to be shipped from the 43-hectare Sanand plant to Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), and it plans to supply one million tyres to its OEM partners by the end of the year. Furthermore, the tyre maker intends to complement its recently-opened plant with five additional factories in India that will produce tyres for other segments.
Nexen Tire’s supply of original equipment tyres to Volkswagen Group models has been extended. As of this year, three Nexen tyres are being delivered to the VW plant in Pamplona, Spain for fitment on the Polo as well as to the Seat plant in Martorell, Spain, where they are mounted on the Ibiza model produced there. The tyres in question are the Nexen the N’blue HD Plus in sizes 185/65R15 88H and 215/45 R17 91 W as well as the Nexen N’Fera SU1 in size 195/55R16 91V.
To-date, a total of 516 Pirelli run-flat tyres have been homologated for original equipment fitment, the tyre maker reports. This tally includes 326 homologations for summer tyres, 100 for winter tyres, and 90 for all-season tyres.
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