According to the French tire company, Michelin, electric cars place different types of stress on tires, therefore drivers should consider those variables while selecting and caring for their tires.
Michelin’s internal surveys have found that customers are unaware of the fact that EVs influence tire performance that is why the company provides tires particularly built for electric vehicles, and it claims that 8 out of 10 major automakers use Michelin tires on their EVs for the US market.
Other legacy tire makers such as Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Perelli are also offering tires that are optimized for EVs.
According to Michelin, EV drivers should be made aware of the fact that –
- Electric Vehicles Weigh More
Electric automobiles are heavier than identical ICE cars due to their battery packs. An EV will have around 20% more weight on its wheels than a comparable gas-powered car. EV tire often have more air pressure.”
- Efficiency Is Important
With an electric drivetrain, tire economy has a greater impact on total performance. The crucial parameter in tire engineering is rolling resistance, which measures how much energy a tire uses while rotating.
Tires consume around 5% of the available energy in a normal automobile, but 16% in electric vehicles so the type of tire that one picks has an impact on the range of the EV.
- Electric vehicle tires wear out faster
Because electric motors produce their greatest torque at zero revolutions, when the driver presses down on the accelerator, the automobile leaps ahead but this puts lot of stress on the tires.
EVs also exert torque in reverse through regenerative braking. This kind of braking skips the coasting period between acceleration and braking; instead jumps straight from propulsion to regenerative braking. “This additional braking contribute to the faster wear of the tires.”
Thus EV drivers are left with two options: change EV tires more regularly or invest in tires that wear more slowly because when you’re in a vehicle, the only thing between you and the road are your tires 🙂
Reference-Canary Media Interview, Clean Technica, Michelin website, Autoblog, EV Obsession