Pirelli has received permission to produce Cyber Tyre at its plant in Georgia. This is an important step for the company: local production will help reduce the impact of US tariffs and strengthen its position in the US market.
We are talking about so-called "connected" tires with built-in sensors that collect data during movement.
Tires transmit data to the vehicle's onboard systems
Cyber Tyre integrates with the vehicle's onboard systems, including ABS and the stability system. Sensors can collect information about tire condition, grip, and road surface, allowing electronics to respond more accurately in real time.
Pirelli promotes this technology as a way to improve safety and handling without mechanical changes to the vehicle itself.
The problem was a Chinese shareholder
The situation was complicated by the fact that the Chinese state company Sinochem owns 34.1% of Pirelli shares. Against the backdrop of tightening US restrictions on Chinese technology, there were concerns that the US might block the production of Cyber Tyre on its territory. Especially considering that tires become another source of data for the car.
The Italian government intervened
The Italian government resolved the situation. Rome applied the so-called "golden powers" - a special mechanism for controlling strategically important companies.
Last month, the Italian authorities limited Sinochem's influence on Pirelli's management. Representatives of the Chinese side were prohibited from holding key executive positions such as chairman of the board of directors or CEO. In addition, Pirelli was officially allowed not to share sensitive technological information with the Chinese shareholder.
The plant in Georgia is ready
The American Pirelli plant is now capable of producing up to 400,000 tires a year. The company has not yet specified what portion of this volume Cyber Tyre will occupy.
The head of Pirelli North America, Claudio Zanardo, called the start of production an important stage in the development of the company's technologies in the US.
