Toronto, Ontario – A recent study made by Tire Rack aims at tackling the question of whether or not electric vehicles require specific tires.
Tire Rack, an American tire company, recently added a Tesla Model 3 to its tire-testing fleet, allowing for expanded testing in areas of wet, dry and winter environments.
After a year of testing, the company says that specific tires for EVs are dependent on driver expectations–especially when it comes to the vehicle’s range.
Most EV-specific tires have low-rolling resistance and this will ensure enhanced efficiency and range for the vehicle.
Tire Rack also found that worn tires increased an EV’s range, however, these tires aren’t as safe and don’t perform as well.
According to the specific report, “tires on EVs tend to wear out more quickly than when installed on a comparable ICE vehicle. So it’s not that EV tires wear faster but rather that tires wear faster when installed on an EV. The commonly quoted figure in the tire industry is 20 percent less wear life with an EV versus an ICE vehicle.”
This 20 percent decrease in wear life is mostly due to the added weight of EVs as a result of the added weight of the battery pack.
While electric vehicle specific tires are not a requirement, Tire Rack indicates that it is a cost to consider for electric vehicle owner’s when it comes to the maintenance, longevity, and repair of their car.
