The BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid SUV will feature tires made from sustainably sourced natural rubber starting in August, the automaker announced last week in a press release.
BMW claims that the special 22-inch Pirelli P-Zero tires also include wood-based rayon as a reinforcement and are the first to receive certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent organization that establishes sustainability criteria for forest product production.
Adaptations were made at Pirelli’s factory in Rome, Georgia, to manufacture tires with FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon, according to BMW. The factory is about 230 miles from BMW’s factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which assembles the BMW X5 and several other SUVs for the U.S. market.
The tires are also designed for low rolling resistance and low noise levels, serving as a reminder that tires can have a significant impact on efficiency, and plug-in vehicles require different tires than their internal combustion counterparts.
The plug-in hybrid X5 remains a fairly large luxury SUV, so it’s more about gradually improving efficiency than being truly eco-friendly. The plug-in X5 has an estimated electric range of 31 miles by the EPA, with a combined electric efficiency rating of 50 MPGe. However, fuel economy is only 20 mpg in hybrid mode.
As vehicle efficiency improves, the environmental impact of tires is increasingly scrutinized.
Whether rubber is sustainably sourced or not, tires shed tiny particles as they wear, which can actually contribute significantly to air pollution, according to a 2020 report. A more recent report also suggested that microplastic pollution from synthetic tire materials is affecting oceans.
Last year, a UK solution to reduce tire pollution won a James Dyson award. It involves fitting collectors on vehicles to trap particles shed by tires. By late 2020, developers said they were seeking to negotiate a development contract with a global automaker and research partnerships with two major tire manufacturers.
