The EV startup Rivian has chosen Pirelli Scorpion range to fit its R1T pickup, which begins production in June 2021, and its R1S electric SUV.
Pirelli has developed versions of its Scorpion Verde All-Season, Scorpion Zero All Season and Scorpion All-Terrain tires to meet Rivian’s specifications.
Pirelli and Rivian co-developed these products over almost two years, and this collaboration has resulted in three tires: 20, 21 and 22 inches. In particular, the Scorpion Verde All Season in 21 inches has a very special tire size, unique in the world, introduced in the industry by Pirelli specifically for Rivian: 275 55R21.
The “low rolling resistance” tire
The Scorpion Verde All-Season is Pirelli’s eco-friendly Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire.
Pirelli’s engineers worked on a higher-silica compound that decreases the vehicles’ energy consumption. Then, they worked on a dedicated design of the mould, narrowing the tread pattern of the tires and keeping an optimal footprint pressure distribution.
The Scorpion Verde All-Season also presents a size unique in the industry: 275/55R21.
The Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season for Rivian increases efficiency and range. It is also designed to combine dry and wet road handling, comfort and year-round capabilities, including all-season traction in light snow.
The “grippy” tire
If “Verde” Pirelli defines its environmentally friendly tires with low rolling resistance and weight, “Zero” definitely indicates its high-performance range.
In particular, the Scorpion Zero All-Season tires are developed for the drivers of crossovers and SUVs, as well as sport-tuned and performance pickup trucks.
For its vehicles, Rivian asked Pirelli to develop an even “grippier” version of its Scorpion Zero All-Season tires. Pirelli’s engineers introduced nano-composite compounds to ensure maximum grip and stability. Then they focused on the tread pattern, introducing a dedicated mould with a larger tread width, able to provide more contact area and, consequently, leading to better handling performance.
All of that, without compromising the low rolling resistance targets needed to support a longer vehicle range.
The off-road tire
Pirelli’s 275/65R20 off-road tire, the Scorpion All Terrain Plus, was also specifically developed for the R1T and R1S with electric adventure in mind.
The Scorpion All Terrain Plus is Pirelli’s On-/Off- Road All-Terrain light truck tire developed for drivers of pickup trucks, crossovers, and SUVs who want a blend of on-road civility with off-road capability. The Scorpion All Terrain Plus is designed with a focus on optimizing durability, traction and wear resistance, in addition to providing snow traction: it gained indeed the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.
The Scorpion All Terrain Plus is moulded into a symmetric, high-void pattern. This pattern is designed to provide smooth and quiet on-road operation. Deep grooves and independent tread blocks help provide the clawing action needed to find grip in loose terrain, and conical stone ejectors resist punctures by forcing small rocks from the tread.
Pirelli’s engineers designed a dedicated mould in order to reduce the weight of the tire, adding then a special compound for light trucks that made the tires more resistant to cuts and lacerations.
