10
Loading video...
By Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Senior Editor, Autos, Travel and Lifestyle
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Going green means more than just having a fuel-efficient car. Eco-friendly tires are on the map as part of JLR's sustainability mission. The luxury vehicle automaker, parent of the Land Rover and Jaguar brands, intends to debut Pirelli's new, eco-friendly tire on its Range Rover Electric, a battery-electric SUV.
"Automakers are sure to be interested in tire sustainability as they develop new products and evaluate tire fitments, however tire choice has always been a compromise of multiple factors, such as wet and dry performance, ride, handling, noise, price, and now sustainability. This compromise is equally present within the general public as consumers often make reference to price and availability as critical factors when selecting replacement tires," Bruce Harrison, director of tire forecast services at S&P Global Mobility told Newsweek.
JLR is the first automaker to work with Pirelli to launch the tires certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) at scale. The tires are made of natural rubber and rayon.
Read More on Autos
Forest Stewardship Council's chain of custody certification process ensures that only certified materials has been used the entire way through the supply chain, from the plantation to the tire manufacturer.
"This is anexciting point in our sustainable luxury journey, as we partner with Pirelli, a company that shares JLR's sustainability ambition and is at the forefront of sustainable tyre production," Andrea Debbane, Sustainability Director at JLR, said in a press release.
...
"We're looking at every aspect of our vehicles to find solutions that enable us to redefine luxury in a way that's better for people andplanet. By choosing Pirelli's FSC-certified tyres, we're offering our clients high-quality, high-performance tyres whilst supporting responsible forest management and protecting the communities in our rubber supply chain to drive real progress," she said.
Orders for Range Rover Electric are open now. The automaker announced last year that it intends to start deliveries of the model in 2024.
JLR expects to expand use of the tires beyond Range Rover Electric, across its entire portfolio to the tune of over 250,000 tires per year when the plan is fully implemented.
FSC holds a fair amount of sway with the British buying public. The U.K. is one of JLR's key markets and its home base. The Council shares that a 2023 survey revealed that 77 percent of people in the U.K. recognize the FSC logo and 71 percent would be "very or fairly likely" to give preference to FSC-certified products.
In addition to the FSC tires, JLR and PIrelli are working together to increase the amount of sustainable and recycled content of tires supplied to the British automaker, the company said.
JLR is committed to becoming a carbon net zero business by 2039.
Tire manufacturers, including Michelin and Nokian, have been public about their efforts to green their production process. Michelin launched RubberWay, a digital solution to assess and map social and environmental risks. RubberWay allows manufacturing plants to directly interact with rubber farmers to ask questions about their practices.
The tire manufacturer then teamed with Continental AG and Smag, a smart agriculture software company, to make the digital solution available to the entire industry.
In 2023, Nokian announced it had joined the Polestar 0 project as a partner. Polestar 0 aims to create a climate-neutral car by 2030.
JLR isn't alone in working to green its supply chain and tires. Other manufacturers are working with their suppliers to work toward full carbon neutrality.
Last year, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius told Newsweek that full supply chain carbon neutrality is a chief goal, calling the "CO2 problem" the "800-pound gorilla."
Some automakers are moving faster than others, with two Volvo plants already proclaimed to be carbon-neutral, one in Sweden and another in China.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines