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Do electric cars need special tires?

Tips & Advice for Car, SUV & Van tires

Discover everything you need to know on tires for electric cars, how they are different to those fitted on a standard vehicle, and how the right tires contribute to range, energy consumption and the overall driving experience.

Why do electric car tires and standard tires need to be different?

Electric cars are weighed down by their batteries, so they need tires which can carry extra weight. While the battery of an electric car stores the energy, it’s the electric motor that provides the instant torque (and no sound inside the car!). With an electric vehicle, as soon as you press the accelerator, you are immediately at 100% of the vehicle’s power. This means the weight transfers are sharper, a lot more intense than with a combustion-powered vehicle. This also affects the impact on wear and tear of the tires.

Michelin designs the electric car tires differently to take this into account, mostly in the structure of the tires and its materials.

The second factor that requires electric car tires to differ from standard tires is noise. But an electric car is silent, right? Without the noise of a combustion engine, the sound of the tires on the road surface is much more noticeable in an electric car. So, manufacturers have to create tires that are far quieter. Thus, perceived interior noise is reduced. Here’s an example: in an orchestra, when you have a drum and a flute playing at the same time you mostly hear the drum. But when the drum stops, the sound of the flute appears more clearly. The same happens when switching to an electric vehicle: the thermal engine which generates most of the noise disappears, and tires road noise is more apparent.

For this reason, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV (Electric Vehicle) tires are equipped with innovative Michelin Acoustic technology which reduces the perceived noise level by 20%.(1)

The third factor specific to electric cars is the battery range and the risk of breakdown, especially on long trips. Through rolling resistance, tires contribute to electric consumption, though battery range. The MICHELIN e·Primacy tires is encouraging the transition to electric mobility. Its rolling resistance performance in the premium replacement tires market improves an EV’s energy efficiency, thereby increasing its range by an estimated 7% or around 30 km for a vehicle with a range of 400 km. vs other tires of its category (2)(3)

How do electric car tires improve battery range?

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Fitting your car with electric car tires ensures you get optimal battery range.

How do tires improve range? Keep in mind that to move an object, you need to give it energy. And between the energy it receives and the energy it gives back in the form of displacement, there is always a loss because the object rubs on the ground. This is called rolling resistance.

One of the objectives of tires manufacturers is to limit this energy loss in order to optimize energy efficiency and reduce unnecessary energy consumption. And, when it comes to electric vehicles, the more energy is optimized, the more range the vehicle has to play with!

When choosing your tires, you can check on the tires labelling to get the lowest rolling resistance and benefit from its performance to drive for longer with one charging.

Do electric vehicles cause more wear and tear to tires?

The biggest factor for electric cars, when compared to normal cars, is the dynamic load transfers and braking torque linked to this specific kind of engine. This is a challenge for manufacturers because the mass and the torque increase require tires with more lateral rigidity (cornering stiffness), to maintain the handling sensation at an important level, a strong grip to allow acceleration, and a good longevity to resist wear mile after mile as well.

Battery weight is an important issue for electric sports cars. If you have a powerful electric motor, you need to have a strong battery, and this results in weight. 400kg is the average weight for a battery in an electric sports car.

Today car makers propose two kinds of electric vehicles:

  • Regular vehicles retrofitted to become electric
  • Brand new platform
     

In the case of regular vehicle retrofitted, usually tires size does not change much compared to ICE (Internal Combustion Engine). Thus, wear may happen faster than ICE.

For brand new platform, mass and torque are considered from the beginning, tires size is adjusted and usually quite bigger than equivalent ICE. Wear will be similar to ICE.

Why are there different tire options for electric vehicles?

It’s crucial to have the right tires for an electric car, depending on its type. A tires needs to respond to different driving demands. A driver of a sports car wants fast accelerations, great torque transmission and high precision at the steering wheel. A driver of a sedan is more looking for safety and driving comfort.

Michelin has created two ranges of specific tires for electric cars:  MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV and MICHELIN e·Primacy. Each range offers different performance balances depending on what you are looking for.

How do I prolong the life of my electric car tires?

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As for any other tires, there are two main ways you can protect your electric car tires and thereby optimize their lifetime: maintenance and driving style.

Electric tires maintenance involves monitoring the pressure, alignment and wear. This type of tires tends to wear on the inside edge of the electric car wheel, so this should be checked regularly. The pressure should also be adapted depending on the load being carried. But how to find out the ideal tires pressure? It’s simple! Cars get a sticker from the manufacturer which indicates the recommended pressure for specific sizes of car tires. There are also recommendations according to whether the car is loaded or not.

Eco-driving is an expression we hear more and more these days, and with good reason. With the objective of reducing energy consumption, the right driving style not only maximizes the range of an electric vehicle, it also optimizes tires quality and performance.

In summary, driving style is particularly important. Use moderate acceleration and gentle, regenerative braking. Take corners carefully. That’s the best way to extend the battery range, and the longevity of your electric car tires.

In conclusion, while it’s always a good idea to fit your electric car with tires that are specially made for it, remember our non-electric specific offers are also very efficient for electric vehicles! Ultimately, we’re sure you’ll find the right tires that fits your car and driving style with the help of your dealer and MICHELIN tire selector.

LEGAL MENTIONS

(1) Internal noise measurement, done in 2016 on size 245/45 R19 on KIA Cadenza. Noise level measured in the range "170-230Hz". Results may vary according to vehicle, tyres range and size, speed and road conditions.

 

(2) - MICHELIN e·PRIMACY category of tyres is defined as one of the Premium summer tyres such as CONTINENTAL, GOODYEAR, BRIDGESTONE, PIRELLI, DUNLOP brands, and which are not dedicated to Original Equipment application (i.e. not designed to achieve car manufacturers specific targets) but tyres that can be purchased from retailers.

Increased EV battery range and CO₂ reduction - When new, MICHELIN e·PRIMACY generates 2kg/t on average Rolling Resistance less than competitors, equivalent in fuel consumption reduction of up to 0.21l/100km, equivalent of a gain in CO2 emission up to 5g for a VW Golf 7 1.5 TSI or equivalent of gain of up to 7% in autonomy for a VW e.Golf.

 

(3) - Rolling Resistance internal study conducted in 10/2020, on dimension 255/45 R19, comparing MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV (6.7kg/t) versus MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 SUV (8.8kg/t). For an electrical vehicle of a mass 2151kg, with an autonomy of 540km, this gap of 2.1kg/t drives to a gain of autonomy of more than 60km, or more than 10% of the initial range.

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