For some time now, drivers have been big fans of the Pirelli P Zero family of all-season and ultra-high-performance tires, for good reason. The P Zero line of tires delivers excellent value and performance with top-quality materials, design, and manufacturing, and it is OEM for several high-end models from various automakers. The Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect is an update on the PZ4-Sport and has been optimized for electric vehicles.

EVs have a special set of tire requirements, and many EV drivers have bought conventional tires for their vehicles only to be disappointed with their wear properties and performance. EVs tend to be much heavier, with a big lithium battery pack and an altered center of gravity and weight distribution. Also, low rolling resistance is a key prerequisite for EVs since these vehicles must get the most range out of a single battery charge.

Pirelli has leveraged its extensive experience in motorsports and alliance with automakers to develop a tire that’s the perfect fit for the needs and performance of EVs. The result is a tire that doesn’t give up any of the thrilling performance potential of the P Zero (PZ4-Sport) but is redesigned to be a perfect fit for high-performance EVs.

Don’t just take us at our word on this, though – let’s go in for a closer look with this Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect review:

Features and Benefits

Here are just a few of the innovations and features that make the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect a great value, a great performer, and a great fit for a variety of performance EVs:

• Low rolling resistance for enhanced driving range
• Specialized high-silica tread formulation for improved rolling resistance, traction, handling
• Reinforced shoulder for enhanced cornering ability, reducing tread squirm and deformation during hard maneuvers
• Asymmetric tread with a system of circumferential and angled grooves that channel water away from the tire’s contact patch to reduce a tendency toward hydroplaning on wet pavement
• Tread pitch randomized and air cavity custom tuned to cancel certain frequencies and overtones to keep road noise to a minimum
• Sidewall reinforced for the extra vehicle weight of an EV and battery pack
• Polyester casing reinforced by two steel belts and a hybrid nylon/Kevlar ZeroDegree cap layer for excellent stability, ride quality, handling, and responsiveness
• Pirelli’s Noise Canceling System (PNCS) includes a foam sub-tread layer to absorb noise, vibration, and harshness
• Select sizes feature Pirelli’s Seal Inside technology, which releases an internal adhesive sealant inside the tire’s lining to self-seal a puncture or cut
• Select sizes are run-flat designs with a sidewall that’s reinforced to support the vehicle’s entire weight in case of a puncture or loss of inflation pressure
• The summer tread compound is similar to that of the conventional P Zero (PZ4-Sport) tire

Pros and Cons

As with any tire, the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) has its pluses and minuses, but this is a tire where the pluses have the advantage:

PROS:

• Purpose-built for EV use
• Outstanding handling and steering response
• Low rolling resistance

CONS:

• Summer tread compound – not designed for colder temperatures
• Expensive
• No mileage warranty

SimpleTire’s view on Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect tires

Regarding the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect, Pirelli has drawn heavily on their Formula 1 tire designs for a tire that delivers stunning performance and lets drivers explore the limits of what their vehicles can do. It’s a max-performance tire, and the non-Elect iteration of the P Zero (PZ4-Sport) has been selected as OEM for vehicles like the Audi A3, Audi S3, Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayman and Porsche 911.

Like the non-Elect version, the P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect is tailored to specific applications. For instance, the tire’s outer shoulder is tuned for comfort, lateral grip, and noise reduction for luxury fitment and designed for dry-pavement handling and cornering for sports sedans, coupes, or crossovers. The P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect compromises on none of the awesome handling properties and high-speed stability of its non-Elect cousin, in other words.

Of course, noise level is a prime consideration with EV tires. EVs don’t have the exhaust and drivetrain noise of a conventional internal combustion vehicle, and noisy tires will be especially noticeable. The noise/vibration/harshness team at Pirelli has done an admirable job of keeping road noise low with the P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect, thanks to its foam sublayer and a tread pitch that’s randomized and computer-tuned to negate certain frequencies and resonances to suppress highway noise.

We’re impressed with this tire’s internal construction, with select sizes designed with 1- or 2-ply rayon or 2-ply polyester casing, twin steel belts, and nylon/Kevlar ZeroDegree cap ply. This kind of customization is another example of how Pirelli engineers have tailored their designs and fine-tuned them for specific vehicle applications, and that robust internal design helps the Elect versions of the tire manage the extra weight of EVs and their battery packs. While the Pirelli doesn’t have a conventional treadwear/mileage warranty, the Pirelli Seal Inside system and run-flat design give drivers extra confidence and peace of mind in case of tire failure.

Like the conventional P Zero (PZ4-Sport), this is designed as a summer-only tire with a warm-weather tread compound not intended for colder weather. The P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect will harden and lose traction on colder days and should not be used if temperatures are below 40-45 degrees F.

Vehicles the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect is a good replacement tire for

Here’s a fairly comprehensive list of the performance-oriented EVs that would be great candidates for the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4-Sport) Elect, especially considering its wide range of sizes and fitments:

• Audi e-Tron GT
• BMW i4
• Cadillac Lyriq
• Chevrolet Blazer EV
• Fiat 500e
• Fisker Ocean
• Ford Mustang Mach-E
• Genesis GV60
• Hyundai Kona Electric
• Jaguar i-Pace
• Kia EV6
• Lexus RZ
• Mercedes-Benz EQB
• Mini Cooper Hardtop SE
• Nissan Leaf
• Polestar 2
• Porsche Macan Electric
• Subaru Solterra
• Tesla Model 3
• Volkswagen ID4
• Volvo XC40 Recharge