Russell Shepherd has spent the past 20 years working on research and development for the French tire maker Michelin. He currently serves as the technical communications director for passenger car tires at Michelin. He tells Canary Media that different types of stress are placed on tires by electric vehicles, therefore drivers should consider these considerations while selecting and maintaining their tires.
According to Shepherd, his company’s internal research indicates that consumers might not be aware of how EVs effect tire performance. He advises individuals to spend extra time inquiring about the tires that come as standard equipment on any electric vehicle they are thinking about purchasing. The only thing standing between you and the road when driving a car are your tires, according to Shepherd of Greenville, South Carolina.
According to Michelin, 8 out of 10 major automakers use its tires on their EVs for the US market. Michelin makes tires specifically made for electric vehicles. There are also tires designed specifically for EVs from other established tire manufacturers like Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Perelli.
The tires that electric car manufacturers sell on new cars are, in principle, already optimized for these conditions, but it’s always a good idea to double-check. More drivers will have to choose which tires to buy without an automaker’s guidance as used EVs grow (perhaps with the aid of a new tax credit). When it comes to tire selection and maintenance, Shepherd believes there are a few things EV drivers need to be aware of.
ELECTRIC CARS WEIGH MORE Compared to identical ICE vehicles, electric vehicles are heavier due to their battery packs. Conventional vehicles have large internal combustion engines. Compared to a comparable gas-powered vehicle, an electric vehicle will place around 20% extra weight on its tires. According to Shepherd, the air holds the car up, not the tire. The air pressure in the tires of EVs is often higher.
The appropriate tire pressure for new EV drivers should be familiarized with because it can be different from what they are used to. The pressure of drivers’ tires needs to be checked more frequently (many new cars come with tire pressure monitoring systems that do that for us.)
EFFICIENCY MATTERS With an electric drivetrain, a tire’s efficiency has a greater impact on total performance than it does with a gasoline engine. Rolling resistance, a measurement of how much energy a tire uses to rotate, is a crucial parameter in tire engineering. Casual drivers rarely consider reducing rolling resistance, but fleet managers do since even a difference of a tenth of a mile per gallon over millions of miles adds up.
Because electric vehicles are so much more efficient than automobiles with infernal combustion engines, rolling resistance has a more noticeable impact on their efficiency. In a regular car, tires consume roughly 5% of the available energy, but in electric cars, they consume 16%. According to Shepherd, the type of tire you choose affects the driving range of your electric vehicle. Many Randamp;D efforts are being made by tire manufacturers like Michelin and Goodyear to reduce resistance while retaining traction and durability.
TIRES FOR ELECTRIC CARS WEAR FASTER There are two factors that cause electric cars to place larger torque loads on tires than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles. First, because electric motors produce their maximum torque at zero revolutions per minute, when the driver depresses the accelerator, the automobile accelerates quickly. One of the things about electric automobiles that people appreciate is that, but it puts strain on the tires. Regenerative braking, which transforms kinetic energy back into electricity to be stored in the battery when the car slows down, allows EVs to also produce torque when moving in reverse.
EVs produce more torque on the tires than other types of braking, according to Shepherd. They move directly from propulsion to regenerative braking, skipping the transitional period between acceleration and braking. According to Shepherd, the added braking does cause the tires to wear out more quickly.
An EV driver now has two choices: buy tires that wear more slowly or prepare to replace an EV’s tires more frequently than they are used to.
THE LESSON Car owners have few options for modifying the performance of their vehicles, but they can always choose to install new wheels or tires. Most people, including myself, succumb to the allure of promises of improved handling, improved wet weather performance, or quicker acceleration. Some individuals prefer the appearance of 24 wheels and tires with short sidewalls. Go ahead if your goal is to win style points from your friends. Defeat yourself. However, keep in mind that having larger wheels and tires can significantly reduce your available range.
I did locate an review on the Michelin site review from a customer who purchased a pair of 19 Pilot Sport EV tires to replace the factory-installed tires on his Model Y. He gave the Michelin tires 3 stars and vehemently argued that the range was identical between the two sets of tires. Really? Did he really believe that getting new tires will increase his range by 40 or 50 miles? According to the accounts I’ve seen, he’s lucky his range didn’t decrease by 40 or 50 miles. When they obtained new shoes for the all-electric chariot, many EV drivers noticed a significant shift, and rarely were they positive. Some folks never seem to be content.
Your electric car’s original tires, as noted by Motor Trend , were probably created specifically for that vehicle. As a result, the features of the tires, such as their noise profile, durability, grip, and rolling resistance, are occasionally tailored to the specifications of that particular vehicle.
Please share your experience with us if you have owned your electric car long enough to replace the tires. Did you decide to keep the factory-installed tires on your car or did you go for a different brand/size? How did the new tires perform in comparison to the old ones? Why were they better or worse? If we receive a sufficient number of responses, we will compile them and utilize the information to update this story in the future.
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