Tyre News

Elect is the name Pirelli adds to tyres it tailors for electric and plug-in hybrid cars. After supplying these products for factory fitment on new vehicles for the past two years, Pirelli is now offering Elect tyres to aftermarket customers as well. Pirelli has integrated Elect into all P Zero, Cinturato and Scorpion lines in order to offer the technology across its summer, winter and all-season ranges. The tyre maker says Elect is “now widely available” for aftermarket customers.

Continental is supplying original equipment tyres for full-electric and plug-in hybrid versions of the new Kia Niro. In the UK and Europe, as well as in Middle East and African markets, Kia will deliver the fully-electric version of its SUV with Continental EcoContact 6 Q tyres in size 215/55 R17 94V. Its Continental tyre of choice for plug-in hybrid models of the Niro is the PremiumContact 6, in size 225/45 R18 95V XL FR.

When Nexen Tire introduced its first all-season tyre in the UK a decade ago, many drivers saw these products as just an option for smaller cars with only a handful of horses under the bonnet. Product development has brought all-season tyres a long way since then, and attitudes have changed too. Nexen Tire has now launched a new generation of all-season tyre, and there’s not a single fitment for runabouts or city cars to be seen.

Industry research repeatedly shows that SUV drivers demand safety, driving performance and comfort. So, anyone investing the several hundred pounds necessary to replace a set of SUV tyres would do well to make sure they get the best tyres for them. 

All-season tyres have really grown in popularity in recent years. Perhaps due to our temperate climate, winter tyres have only really found their niche in the most mountainous parts of the country, on vehicles that really need theme (powerful rear-wheel drive cars on the one hand – and vets, doctors and emergency service vehicles on the other). All-season tyres, on the other hand, bring much of the benefit of winter tyres, but without the logistical challenges of changing and storing a second set of wheels and tyres. Here, WhatTyre offers insights into the best-performing all-season and year-round tyres on the market.

There are a number of myths and false assumptions connected with driving safety and tyre longevity, says Nokian Tyres. The Finnish tyre maker believes that both these can be improved in a matter of minutes; by regulation of tyres’ air pressure. Tyre pressure needs to be higher in the winter in comparison with summer. Higher tyre pressure is also required when the load is heavier than usual. Regardless of this, many people drive with too-low tyre pressure because of driving comfort or dangerous beliefs. Matti Morri, Technical Customer Service Manager at Nokian Tyres, explains how many popular beliefs concerning tyres are, in fact, false – and sometimes potentially dangerous.