Pirelli and Enel X announce the launch of plans that will lead to the installation of recharging infrastructure, from the Enel Group’s innovative business line for electric vehicles, at selected sales points of the Driver network of tyre centres. The agreement, which was signed on the occasion of the Milano – Monza Motor Show, sets in motion a cooperation that will immediately involve many Pirelli tyres centres in Italy, to be followed by Spain and other European countries. This project is one of a number that Pirelli is implementing in the area of sustainability, in which it is the world leader in the Automobiles & Components on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe indices, and represents a contribution to support the spread of electric vehicles which today faces a hurdle in the insufficient number of recharging points.
Recharge and assistance services
The cooperation between Pirelli and Enel X is part of a European wide plan for the development of Driver services for e-mobility, a segment in constant growth and to which Pirelli Driver tyre centres will give ever more attention in its offer of services. The plan, in fact, entails, beyond the installation of the recharge stations, also specific training courses for re-sellers.
The recharging stations at the Pirelli Driver centre will come in different sizes in accordance with the characteristics of the territory and the volume of traffic at the centre. In particular, Enel X will offer Driver dealers charges of between 22 KW and 50 KW in power, able to recharge a number of cars simultaneously. If the Pirelli Driver centre opts to install recharging infrastructure that is accessible to the public, these will appear on the apps of various Mobility Service Providers, like Enel X’s JuicePass, an app which is easy and intuitive to use which enables you to locate the nearest charging stations, book them, pay and constantly monitor the progress of the vehicle’s recharge. To date there are 13,000 recharging points installed by Enel X across Italy; these also include HPC (High Power Charging), chargers with power of up to 350 KW which will enable the recharge of an electrical vehicle in about 20 minutes.
Pirelli and sustainable mobility
Expecting strong market growth, Pirelli has already developed a specific range of tyre for electric vehicles, called Pirelli Elect, which guarantee low rolling resistance and a consequent increase in battery range, limited in-cabin noise, immediate grip to deal the typical torque of electric motors and a structure to support the weight of the vehicle, greater than that of combustion engine vehicles because of the battery pack. The development of products that look ahead to the new mobility is also in line with Pirelli’s sustainability strategy, the commitment to which can be seen in the continuous Research & Development activity in the areas of materials and processes. The Eco Safety Design approach of Pirelli’s R&D, in particular, aims at maximizing respect for the environment of new products and safety for people as they travel, embracing the products entire life cycle beginning with its design. By 2025 Pirelli aims to reduce absolute CO2 emissions by 25% compared with 2015 and use 100% renewable electricity, allowing the group to reach carbon neutrality in 2030 for both electricity and thermal energy.
Daniele Deambrogio, CEO of Pirelli Italia, said: “Pirelli continues with always greater determination along the road to sustainability, beginning with the product with maximum attention to the entire life cycle, which begins with the careful selection of materials and ends with the possibility of recovering part of the tyre once disposed of. The contribution that together with Enel X we will give to the national recharging infrastructure for electric vehicles, the first problem the spread of these vehicles face, has a new step for Pirelli towards an always lower environmental impact and confirms the company’s broad vision with regard to sustainability”.
Augusto Raggi, the head of Enel X Italia commented: “Enel X’s strategy for the rapid spread of electric mobility also passes by necessity through partnerships with the most important operators in the sector. The agreement with Pirelli is a natural consequence of this approach because they are a partner with whom we share a vision of sustainable mobility for the present and the future. We will ring advanced recharging technology to the Driver centres enabling easy recharging and total comfort, offering a service that will allow us to bring people closer to the world of electric mobility.”
SOURCE: Pirelli
