Do Electric Cars Need Special Tyres?

The simpler the design of an electric car looks from the outside, the more complex the electronics are inside the car. But surely that doesn’t apply to the Tyre. Shouldn’t the tyres be the same whether fitted to a petrol/diesel car or an electric vehicle?

There are no legal rules that state you have to use specific types on your electric car compared to an equivalent combustion-engine car. But, there are sensible reasons to choose tyres designed specifically for an electric car.

In recent years, most tyre manufacturers have started producing tyres though they don’t generally like to mention they are only for eclectic vehicles and car manufacturers are not eager to advise you should use EV-specific tyres either.

What’s Different About Tyres For EVs?

Tyres which are used in eclectic cars, plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids have to handle a range of different forces compared to those of a combustion engine car. The most obvious one is the weight of the car. Electric cars carry around heavy battery packs, so significantly more weight bears on each tyre.

The new EV-friendly tyres are designed in a way which has stiffer sidewalls for better coping with the weight. In simple terms, they won’t wear out quickly and there will be less risk of punctures. The cost and inconvenience of such failure are low as well.

These are a few pieces of evidence that show using Car tyres in Worcestershire which are not specifically designed to carry the weight of an electric car could become a trouble. In December 2021, recovery specialists at Britannia Rescue shared that more than a third of the EV breakdown calls it attends are for tyres and wheel issues which is double the percentage of combustion engine cars suffering similar problems.

Taking data from over three years, Britannia shares that electric vehicle drivers were three times more likely to suffer a tyre issue than be by a lack of battery power.

However, it shows that the tyre issues would generate a higher percentage of electric car issues due to there are not as many other things to go wrong on an electric car as on a combustion-engined car.

It's not only about more weight it is also about how the electric vehicle delivers its power also affects the tyre tread. In general electric cars offer instant torque rather than building it up as engine speed rises, so the tyres have to cope with all this power being put through them at once.

The other thing is deceleration which is performed differently in EV cars. A traditional car is significantly slowed by pressing the brake pedal, whereas electric cars benefit from consistent slowing which offers enough regeneration, passing kinetic energy back into the battery packs.

All the tyres have to handle a certain amount of pull from the ground they are travelling over also known as rolling resistance. The compounds of tyres electric tyres are designed to reduce the rolling resistance as much as possible to increase the range between battery charges.

Many tyre brands also mentioned that their tyres are designed for electric vehicles with low noise. While electric vehicles do not make sounds, tyre noise can become more noticeable and even irritating to the drivers.

Why Don’t Car Manufacturers Tell You This?

Using bespoke EV tyres sounds like a better idea but it’s not heavily promoted by either tyre or car brands.

The spec sheets of mainstream cars show both combustion and electric forms. Let’s take three examples, the Vauxhall Corsa, the MG ZS, and the Peugeot 2008 show the same tyre size and ratings no matter which form of propulsion.

In an interview, the spokesman for Hyundai told The Car Expert that the electric version, which is the Kona, uses the same tyres as the petrol models. However, the Ioniq 5, which is an electric-only car, comes with tyres that are particularly suitable for electric vehicles. For example, the Michelin Pilot Sport EV.

In the premium segment of the market, the Pilot Sport is rare among tyres in that it is openly described as being for EVs. Michelin states that this tyre is specially designed to meet the technical requirements of electric cars and is customised for each electrical vehicle to meet car enthusiast expectations. The EV tyres also have low rolling resistance, and grip levels to cope with the low noise levels and immediate electrical torque.

No particular tyres for electric vehicles is mentioned by other manufacturers. A Continental Tyres representative stated on the Car Expert that the company does not currently offer a specific EV tyre range. To satisfy the unique requirements of both combustion and electric motor cars, we are continuously expanding our selection of tyres in collaboration with OEMs.

So in conclusion, you don’t need to use specific electric tyres for your electric car and choosing them may require spending more money and having to order ahead.

But tyres that are specially designed for EVs will offer better qualities that make them worth considering. If you don’t want the hassle of visiting a tyre shop to change your tyres then you can take advantage of mobile tyre fitting in Worcestershire. The mobile tyre fitter will come to your place and change your tyres to new ones.