Michelin will mark 100 years of the Le Mans 24-hour race this weekend with a new generation of sustainable racing tyres — including recovered carbon black (rCB) sourced from Scandinavian Enviro Systems’ facility in Åsensbruk, Sweden.
The tyres, made with 63% sustainable materials, will be fitted to the Green GT Mission H24 hydrogen prototype car competing in the iconic endurance race, as well as other electric entries using variants with up to 53% recycled and renewable content.
The rCB used in Michelin’s Le Mans tyres is produced via Enviro’s proprietary pyrolysis process, which recovers materials from end-of-life tyres. This is the latest milestone in Michelin’s goal to manufacture all tyres with 100% sustainable materials by 2050.
Enviro, whose technology has been under continuous development in Sweden, has supplied the recovered carbon black directly for use in both hydrogen and electric race vehicles. These include the Green GT Mission H24 and the fully electric Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance.
The 63% sustainable material tyre sets a new benchmark for racing applications, showing that high-performance tyres can integrate circular materials without compromising durability or grip — key demands in one of the world’s toughest motorsport environments.
Michelin has been Enviro’s largest shareholder since 2020. Their partnership is part of a broader push towards scaling advanced recycling technologies across the tyre industry. The Le Mans project demonstrates the viability of circular materials not just for consumer tyres, but for motorsport-grade products where performance is non-negotiable.
“Using our recovered carbon black in a race like Le Mans is a clear demonstration of both quality and capability,” said Thomas Sörensson, CEO of Enviro.
Michelin has been involved in Le Mans since the inaugural 1923 race and has supplied tyres to winning teams for 25 consecutive years between 1998 and 2022.
The deployment of recovered carbon black in elite motorsport tyres marks a key shift in the tyre industry’s circular economy agenda. As manufacturers seek to decarbonise both passenger and commercial vehicle tyres, demonstrating performance parity in extreme conditions is critical. Michelin and Enviro’s collaboration at Le Mans offers a high-profile example of how recycled materials can support next-generation tyre development across multiple vehicle platforms. from EVs to hydrogen power.
Tagged with:Michelin, recovered carbon black, Enviro Systems, Le Mans, sustainable tyres, circular economy, racing tyres, EV tyres, hydrogen vehicles, pyrolysis, tyre recycling
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