Electric cars tend to wear out tires up to 20% faster than combustion cars. Two factors explain this difference: electric cars have instant torque, and they are often heavier. But there are ways to help extend the life of your tires — electric and more.
Electric vehicles continue to gain popularity, especially as fuel prices rise, and new battery technologies emerge that help these cars rival traditional combustion engine models, with wider autonomy and additional features.
However, despite the advances made by many of these newer vehicles, there continues to be a problem affecting tram owners: the tire wear.
But why are electric vehicles more likely to wear out tires faster than conventional combustion cars? The answer is in a combination of several factorsexplains .
It is important to start by recognizing how quickly electric vehicles can consume tires. As stated in 2021 in Scott Clarkformer CEO of Michelin, electric cars tend to wear tires up to 20% faster than conventional combustion cars. It is unclear whether this exact percentage remains valid more than 5 years later.
Even so, little has changed substantially in the operation of trams during this period: they continue to have more instant binary than combustion cars and, often, weigh more. All of this puts greater pressure on the tires, which accelerates their wear.
There is still another factor to take into account, says BGR: electric cars need tires designed specifically for this type of vehicle.
Michelin explains that tires for electric vehicles are developed using “advanced techniques”, which allows you to create a resistant and high-performance structure for the tire, which the company calls “carcass”. Some of these tires even feature different angles at the waistwhich can help optimize the shape of the tire.
Weight and conception
For anyone who has an electric vehicle, understanding why the tires wear out is essential to find ways to extend its useful life.
As we mentioned above, the vehicle weight and the amount of torque instantaneous, which is, in essence, what allows the tram to accelerate faster from standstill and improve dynamic behavior, are two central factors to explain this wear.
These two factors require more friction during acceleration, which means the tires have to provide greater grip. Some electric vehicles may even require specific tires to compensate for the impact increased weight and instantaneous torque.
Although there are little to do To neutralize the effects of instantaneous torque, at least without radically altering the way electric vehicles work, there are measures that can help mitigate the impact of weight.
Currently, some electric versions of popular models can weigh more than 1,360 kilos above their equivalents combustion. Much of this difference is due to the battery cellswhich are expensive and heavy.
As new developments in battery technology for electric vehicles emerge, these weights will inevitably change. Still, many of these advances appear to remain several years away from widespread adoption.
There’s also the fact that many electric vehicle tires are designed to offer lower rolling resistancewhich helps to increase autonomy and reduce road noise.
These tires often include stiffer flanksnarrower and shallower floors, as well as harder rubber compounds on the tread. Naturally, the composition of the tire can decisively influence its durability, and a shallower tread depth can translate into a shorter lifespan.
How to get more out of your tires
Michelin recommends choosing specifically designed tires for the profile of electric vehicles as one of the best ways to guarantee maximum possible durability.
Furthermore, follow simple maintenance routineslike tire rotation and alignment, can also help ensure your tires are ready for everyday use while keeping your car in optimal running condition.
And, of course, it is important monitor tire pressure and ensure you always ride at the correct pressure — although many of these recommendations also apply to combustion engine vehicles.
Michelin adds that, despite being attractive leverage the binary instantaneous offered by trams, the best thing is to moderate the frequency which accelerates suddenly, which helps reduce friction exerted on the tires during rapid acceleration, thus giving them greater long-term durability.
Ultimately, one of the best ways to extend the life of an electric vehicle’s tires is to anticipate this need and opt for tires rated for greater longevity.
But this option also causes the average price of tires to rise for electrics and is not a foolproof solution, especially considering the effect of instantaneous torque, but it can at least guarantee some peace of mind extra.
