We already have smartwatches, smartphones, smart cars. So why not fit those smart cars with some smart tyres connected to our smartphones? Why? Because it’s the smart thing to do! Okay, enough with the smart talk.
The star of this show is premium tyre brand Pirelli. The P Zero and Winter Sottozero models are now equipped with colored sidewall lining, just like we’re used to see in Formula 1. Apparently, the Italian manufacturer put quite a lot of effort and research into the idea. The target was to make sure the colors persist even after extensive wear. For the moment, only 19″ and up tyres are available with the feature, but Pirelli promises to extend the features for smaller wheels as well.
On the second set, there’s Pirelli Connesso. The same P Zero and Winter Sottozero are now equipped with a tiny chip in the sidewall. The chip is connecting to your smartphone and is delivering data regarding tyre pressure, wear and distance traveled. The chip is also measuring static and vertical load for each tyre.
Furthermore, it seems that Pirelli wants to improve this technology in the future. Next versions of the chip will automatically plan for tyre replacement or fix when detecting a drop in performance. Since it weighs only a few grams, the chip does not affect the overall performance of the tyre.
