London-based EV tyre manufacturer Enso has announced that it will launch a ‘pay-per-mile’ tyre this summer, in collaboration with digital fleet financing provider Zeti.
The agreement with Zeti will see Enso’s TX1 EV tyre – a range-extending A-rated tyre specifically designed for electric taxis – fitted to more than 100 electric LEVC vehicles, ahead of Enso’s wider rollout of its tyres to individual consumers.
The pay-per-mile tyre is designed to offer electric taxis access to better tyres with no upfront cost.
It has also been created to incentivise the development of longer-lasting tyres and addresses the issue of tyre pollution resulting from the continued adoption of EVs.
Particulate matter from tyres is a major source of UK air pollution reports the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with tyres reportedly responsible for 28% of all primary microplastics in the world’s oceans, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Furthermore, most end-of-life tyres are reportedly incinerated, with each tonne said to produce 650kg of CO2.
With toxic chemical compounds and wear rates varying substantially between tyre brands, experts state that removing the worst-offending tyres from the road will have a significant impact.
Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, Founder and CEO of Enso, said: “The traditional tyre industry business model incentivises volume and indirectly creates huge levels of tyre pollution, and enormous tyre waste at their end-of-life.
“As EV sales grow this problem is also getting worse, given that EVs wear out tyres 20-50% faster according to Michelin and Goodyear, due to their heavier weight and higher torque.
“Our pay-per-mile tyre turns the traditional tyre distribution model on its head by selling miles rather than tyres, incentivising more durable products.
“Only by making fewer, better, longer-lasting tyres will we address the growing problem of tyre pollution and waste resulting from an outdated industry model.
“The pay-per-mile tyre reduces total cost of ownership while helping to manage cash flows, while increasing EV range and reducing tyre pollution.”
The new service will be powered by Zeti’s patent-pending fintech platform, Zero. Through its technology, Zeti offers a pay-per-mile model to finance fleets of zero- and ultra-low emission vehicles.
Telematics devices in each EV gather real-time data, such as the mileage and vehicle health. Zero then combines the telematic data with smart contracts to calculate billing on a pooled pay-per-mile basis for both the vehicle and the fleet.
Enso is currently is working with a number of EV fleets, including a partnership with the Mayor of London, Transport for London, DPD and Royal Mail, to deploy its range-extending, low-emission tyres on final-mile EV delivery fleets.
Later this autumn, this company will open its first tyre station in Central London, offering a service directly to taxi fleet owners based in the UK capital.
