A tyre company has been shortlisted for the £1m Earthshot prize

The automotive industry rarely makes environmental headlines for positive reasons. But here comes a rare ray of sunshine: a tyre company has been listed for the 2023 Earthshot Prize.

Enso, a start-up company specialising in tyres for electric cars, has been recognised in the 'Clean Our Air' category for its work in trying to reduce particulate emissions from tyres. Enso’s approach is simple – increase tyre durability to decrease emissions (presumably at the expense of grip, although the tyres are A-rated for wet grip, so maybe something truly innovative is afoot).

Already in use in some electric taxis and delivery vehicles, trials by Transport for London suggest vehicles using Enso tyres have 35 per cent less particulate matter emissions and travel 10 per cent further.

TopGear.com has already seen them in action, helping a Renault Zoe to set a hypermiling world record back in 2021. Drive an LEVC taxi? You can buy a set of Enso tyres for £299. The rest of us will have to wait longer: Enso is hoping to be in a position to manufacture a million tyres a year by 2026.

Figures from Imperial College London suggest tyres “emit six million tonnes of pollution each year and more airborne particulate matter than all tailpipes combined”.

Founded in 2020 by Prince William, the aim of the Earthshot Prize is “to discover and help scale the world’s most innovative climate and environmental solutions to protect and restore our planet.”

Each year finalists are nominated in five different categories, the winners in line for a £1 million funding package. All 15 nominees will receive a year-long programme of mentorship, resources and technical support. The five category winners will be announced on 7 November.