The new, fully-electric Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance will be out to showcase its potential at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed on Michelin tyres that contain 53% sustainable materials.
At last August’s Le Mans 24 Hours, Michelin revealed the new tyre containing 46% sustainable materials it had developed for GreenGT’s fuel-cell electric racing prototype. Today, it has taken the proportion of biosourced and recycled raw materials to 53% for the tyres it has supplied to Porsche, with no detriment to the performance and safety levels that have long been hallmarks of its competition tyres.
The sustainable raw materials that go into these tyres range from natural rubber and carbon black recycled from end-of-life tyres, to orange and lemon peel, pine-tree resin, sunflower oil and scrap steel. In keeping with its Michelin In Motion policy, Michelin plans to make all its tyres exclusively from sustainable materials by 2050.
Looking beyond Porsche’s record bid at Goodwood, the German make’s upcoming all-electric motorsport programme will provide Michelin with a chance to evaluate its sustainable solutions in the extreme conditions associated with topflight racing. The French firm is effectively determined to accelerate the development of its technologies and their carry-over to production electric-vehicle tyres, while the energy transition provides it with a valuable opportunity for growth, along with a means to showcase its expertise and penchant for innovation.
Matthieu Bonardel (Director, Michelin Motorsport):
“Our close work with Porsche on the new, fully-electric 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance race car is concrete evidence of the progress Michelin has made in the fields of sustainable materials and electromobility. Just as it does in the FIA Formula E World Championship and motorcycling’s FIM MotoE World Cup, our involvement in the new all-electric championship alongside Porsche will enable us to accelerate the development of sustainable innovations that are ultimately accessible to all.”
