EV Tyre: Guide for best efficiency and longer life

Tyres are the most important part of any car, as they provide the right amount of traction, braking and stability to the car while moving at higher speeds. They also contribute to higher range and fuel efficiency. All of this depends on tread design, tyre material and tyre structure.

Recently, there have been numerous complaints regarding tyre life in EV cars. But in reality, not all EVs have tyre life issues. Based on several practical examples, it has been observed that mostly cars with RWD or AWD have tyre issues. Cars with FWD are observed to have tyres lasting a very long time.

Source: Galaxy Tyre Shop

Is using EV tyres beneficial?

Many of the EV cars are still supplied with normal tyres. So a question arises whether using EV tyres in EV cars really beneficial or not? Let's discuss a few benefits of using EV tyres.

1. Weight: EV tyres are provided with reinforced sidewalls. This will help support the extra weight of heavy battery packs.
2. Rolling Resistance: Special materials used in EV tyres help in reducing the rolling resistance. This will ultimately increase the range of an EV.
3. Noise Reduction: EV tyres consist of noise-dampening foam inside the tyres. Also, the tread patterns are optimised in a way to reduce tyre noise and ultimately have a quieter drive.
4. Durability: EV tyres contain durable compounds, and also the tread patterns are deeper. As a result, you can expect a longer life from the tyres.

How are EV tyres quieter?

EVs are very silent while running, so tyres with more road noise will definitely reach the ears of the drivers. So it is necessary to work on tyres that can minimise road noise while the car is running on roads or bad roads. As a result, EV tyres are equipped with sound-absorbing materials; they prevent noise due to the tyre hitting the road during operation. Also, the low rolling resistance of tyres will help reduce noise during operation. The image shown below shows the structure of tyres made specifically for EV's.

Source: Hyundai Motor Group Ioniq 5 (Michelin) tyre

Extend tyre life in EVs.

You should follow certain guidelines in order to extend your tyre life in EV's.

• It is normally observed that EVs with RWD or AWD are making the tyres wear out faster in a few cars like Xev9e, Harrier.ev, Be6, etc. Whereas for FWD cars like Nexon.ev and Punch.ev, it's observed that tyres last for as long as 60k kms easily unless you drive aggressively, with some even extending up to 100k kms.
• Avoid using high instant torque, which is a speciality of EV's. Mostly, the high torque given in EVs is not required for everyday use. You can maintain your daily tasks even with 50% or less torque given in EV's. This will help you substantially increase tyre life.
• Perform tyre alignment every 10-15k kms if your driving is mostly in the city or on good roads. Perform it more frequently if you drive more on highways or bad roads.
• Maintain tyre pressure 2 psi more than recommended. The manufacturer does not recommend the tyre pressure that will give maximum life, but they recommend the minimum tyre pressure to be maintained. So if your recommended tyre pressure is 32 psi, try to maintain between 32 and 35 psi. This doesn't apply to Tesla, ZS EV and other premium EVs, as they recommend the proper tyre pressure required for EV's (35 to 40 psi).