JLR and Pirelli on a natural roll

JLR is introducing FSC-certified natural rubber in tyres for luxury vehicles by using Pirelli’s first standard production tyre made with over 70% bio-based and recycled materials.

Pirelli will supply tyres made with FSC‑certified natural rubber for use across JLR’s luxury vehicles at scale, debuting on the new Range Rover Electric.

The collaboration marks an important step forward for sustainable natural rubber adoption in the automotive industry and will involve over 250,000 FSC‑certified tyres per year. 

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certification process verifies that FSC‑certified material has been identified and separated from non‑certified material as it makes its way along the supply chain, from the plantations to the tyre manufacturer.

Pirelli says that, by 2026, all natural rubber used in its European factories will be FSC-certified.

The P Zero tyre will also include materials such as rice husk-derived silica and recycled steel.

The steel used comes from remelting scrap, while maintaining the mechanical properties of virgin steel.

Rice husk-derived silica, obtained from rice processing waste, is used in tread compounds to ensure high performance in the wet.

Other components include circular carbon black, produced through pyrolysis oil obtained from end-of-life tyres. Bio-circular polymers, manufactured from monomers derived from used cooking oil or pyrolysis oil, replacing fossil-based polymers and bio-resins, plant-based plasticisers that help optimise the balance between dry and wet performance.

Markings on the tyre will show the FSC logo and one identifying Pirelli tyres made with over 50% bio-based and recycled materials, as verified by the third-party certification body Bureau Veritas.