Pirelli debuts Scorpion XTM AT for EV and ICE vehicles

Pirelli Tire North America has released a new tire for the all-terrain (A/T) segment, the Scorpion XTM AT, as the first in a new product line and the next generation of the company’s Scorpion Family.

“The Scorpion line has been iconic for Pirelli, especially in the SUV segment, where it has built a reputation for balancing performance and comfort,” according to Pirelli officials. “With the introduction of the (Scorpion) XTM AT, Pirelli is taking this legacy to the next level by pushing the Scorpion family to its extreme.”

The tire will be available in 37 P-metric and LT-metric sizes and fit on wheels from 17” to 24” in diameter. Additionally, the tire is designed for both electric vehicles (EVs) and internal-combustion engine (ICE) trucks. While the tire is suited for both, Pirelli is rolling out the Scorpion XTM AT for EV applications first, said Ian Coke, Pirelli North America CTO.

“We’re known for EV,” Coke told Fleet Maintenance affiliate MTD during a ride-and-drive event. He said it was therefore natural for Pirelli to ask, “’Why don’t we do our first (all-terrain) product as an EV (tire), then quickly follow up with ICE?’”

The tire’s EV fitments will work for the Rivian R1T, Rivian R1S, Jeep Wrangler 4xe, Dodge Ram 1500 REV, Ford F-150 Lightning and others, and is suited for Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150, Ford F-350, Jeep Wrangler, and Nissan Titan XD on the ICE side. Other features include a high-void tread pattern that works on dirt, gravel, mud, and sand, while its reinforced shoulder technology provides added tire protection. The tire also has 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake certification.

The Scorpion XTM AT has been in development for over three years, Coke said, because the company wanted to break into the A/T segment as a tier-one brand. This was also partially why the company launched their A/T line while prioritizing EVs, because they already felt “quite strong” in the EV world, so they could enter with a solid use case.

“We also want to be very visible,” said Coke. “We will make a (highway-terrain) tire going into the end of next year, but we want to see how the market takes our venture into A/T. We think that’s a nice fit for us to evolve our portfolio in North America.”

According to Pirelli, the Scorpion XTM AT will be available through the company’s independent tire dealers, and they are currently working on OE fitments “within the Big Three” on EV and ICE models. For the moment, the tire is being produced in Mexico, with its second wave hailing from Brazil, and start to arrive in May.

“The third wave, we’re happy to say, will be made in the United States at our plant in Georgia,” Coke explained. “The third wave will come in around January of next year. We’re actually building a new process to do it.

“We took our time” developing the Scorpion XTM AT, he concluded. “We didn’t want to sacrifice anything. We think we have an extremely competitive product.”