The 2024 season of the MotoE World Championship started in Portugal, and, for the occasion, the new Michelin tyres were used in the race for the first time; the new tyres contain, on average, more than 50% sustainable materials.
The innovative tyres Michelin MotoE 2024 – Michelin has been the sole supplier of tyres to the MotoE World Championship since the series creation in 2019. The championship constitutes a real research and development laboratory for the Michelin Group and allows technological innovations to be tested in difficult conditions.
For the 2024 season of MotoE, Michelin presents a new range of tyres that are different from traditional racing ones.
Compared to the past, the new MotoE tyres incorporate an even higher percentage of renewable and recycled raw materials, coming from different sources such as used car and light van tyres (recycled carbon black), rubber plantations (natural rubber), citrus peels, pine resin, sunflower oil, and recycled steel scrap.
Michelin MotoE tyres that will equip the Ducati electric this season contain 49% renewable and recycled materials at the front and 53% at the rear; in 2021, values were 33% and 40%, respectively.
The percentages are different between the front and rear because the two tyres have different operating conditions. The front tyre must provide the rider with very precise feedback, cornering precision and braking stability, while the rear is designed primarily to ensure excellent traction during acceleration.
Thanks to the exclusive Michelin Velvet technology, the new rear tyre features a velvet-look tread with a texture designed to fade during the first few laps. These drawings are reminiscent of the design of the VISION Concept presented in 2017, which illustrates the sustainable development model that Michelin intends to implement in the tyre sector by 2050. The brand uses the same technique for its high-end tyres for cars and motorcycles.
In its ongoing effort to minimize its global environmental footprint, Michelin views the use of renewable and recycled raw materials as crucial, but this is only part of the picture. To minimize and ultimately neutralize the impact of its tyres on the environment, Michelin is actively trying to contain the C02 emissions associated with the different phases of their life cycle, from the sourcing of raw materials to end-of-life recycling through production and use.
The MotoE tyres were among the first to benefit from this comprehensive approach because motorsports – including electric racing – offer a world-class opportunity to experiment and accelerate innovation. As research progresses, Michelin intends to continue increasing the percentage of renewable and recycled raw materials in its tires MotoE. The French Group is determined to go beyond current values, applying the knowledge acquired in motorsports to commercially available tires in the shortest possible time.
The eco-sustainable materials of Michelin tires for the MotoE
For the production of the MotoE tyres, a wide variety of bio-sourced and recycled materials are used, including: orange and lemon peel, pine resin, sunflower oil, hevea sap, worn truck and car tyres, scrap steel.
The percentage of eco-sustainable materials used to make the 2024 rear tyres has reached 53%, while for the front tyres, it is 49%.
The rear tyre is asymmetrical to further improve tyre warm-up. As in previous seasons, Michelin will provide the MotoE with a single type of front and rear slick, allowing riders to use up to five pairs of slicks for each race weekend. A specific and versatile wet tyre is also available.
MotoE World Championship
The standings of the MotoE 2024
MotoE World Championship
The results of the 2024 Portuguese GP
Photos: MotoGP & Tech3 E-Racing
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