The all-new Maserati Grecale Folgore is a gargantuan leap forward for the iconic brand, with the Trident fully committing and throwing their hat into the electrified ring. It’s a huge gamble for Maserati as well, given the massive amount of competition among mass-market, premium electric cars and crossovers. Will it succeed in crafting a market for itself? Well, it’s something we’ll have to find out. But, if Maserati is looking for the best chances possible at succeeding, it helps to have a good set of suppliers to partner with, like Bridgestone. Thankfully, Bridgestone has the perfect set of tyres for an all-electric SUV, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN.
So, why do good tyres matter for electric vehicles, anyway? Mainly, it all has to do with a very low rolling resistance. Bringing that rolling resistance all the way down, as well as optimising how well it drives, can make a big difference in maximising the driving range you’d get out of your EV. After all, it’s one of the biggest concerns that many would-be EV buyers are worried about – range anxiety. With tyres that feature supremely low rolling resistance, and with the way Bridgestone has engineered the Potenza Sport ENLITEN in close concert with Maserati, it ensures that owners of the Grecale Folgore could get up to 500km of range, easily.
A Winning Formula For EV Tyres
In addition to designing tyres made for EVs to help maximise their driving range, performance was of the utmost concern, as well. Among the noteworthy aspects of electric powertrains is the rapid, punchy torque you get from those motors. In performance cars like Maserati’s new Grecale Folgore, it has more than enough torque to overwhelm the grip level on most tyres. As such, Bridgestone had to custom-develop these Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN tyres with EVs like the Grecale Folgore in mind. The bespoke OE fitment that you’ll find here are 20-inch UHP (ultra-high performance) tyres, made to help improve its on-road capabilities.
Therefore, you should be able to expect top-notch traction and performance from these best-in-class EU-label A-grade tyres. The Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN should also perform well in the wet, so don’t expect a bit of rain to put a damper on how much fun you’re having. Regardless of dry or wet-weather conditions, Bridgestone and Maserati want to make sure you can get the most out of your Grecale Folgore, with its eye-watering 550hp and 820Nm of electrifying torques from a two-motor setup, all from a compact SUV. No doubt, Bridgestone’s ENLITEN tech and their innovative process of developing new tyres do come in clutch.
Not Their First Collaboration Together
Given the hyper-competitive nature of engineering world-class tyres and strong rivalry among tyre brands, Bridgestone is quite hush-hush with how the Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN was made. Nevertheless, given Bridgestone’s track record, I don’t doubt their claims that you can enjoy superior handling and performance with these tyres, even in challenging conditions. Even from a sustainability perspective, Maserati and Bridgestone optimised these tyres within a simulator, cutting down on raw materials needed to otherwise test them in the real world. The Bridgestone Potenza Sport ENLITEN is even made in Italy, not too far away from Maserati.
It’s worth remembering too, that this isn’t the first time Maserati and Bridgestone have worked side-by-side with one another. Among their recent partnerships included crafting the best tyres out there for Maserati’s ground-breaking MC20 mid-engine supercar. And, there’s the also-new Maserati Grecale; the ICE sibling of the electrified Folgore. It’s not surprising, I guess, given the enormous selection of superb performance tyres offered by Bridgestone, as is their forte and a speciality of the brand, given their extensive involvement in motorsports. In addition, Maserati too is well-known for their performance cars, including the MC20 – a Ferrari in all but name.
