Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by Rose Morah
If you already own an EV, you probably have noticed how fast their tires wear out compared to those on ICE cars.
Normally, this is because of their torque and weight.
The best solution for tire wear is getting special EV tires.
We recently conducted an online poll in a community of EV owners who have used both the regular and the EV special tires to obtain feedback based on their experiences.
We also experimented with the two different types of tires on different EVs for a more clear picture of their effect on the driving experience and the difference between the two.
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How to Choose the Right Tire Size and Wheels (A Complete Guide).
EV tires vs. regular tires: What tire do EV owners prefer?
Here is a summary of the findings from the survey.
35% preferred EV tires while 65% preferred regular tires on their EVs.
Top Reasons why 35% of EV owners preferred EV tires
- They noticed a range difference of about 5% to 7% with EV tires, which was unlike when they were using normal tires.
- Special EV tires are much quieter. This is because, nowadays, most of them come with noise suspension foam that makes them much quieter when driving.
Reasons why 65% of EV owners preferred regular tires
- They are cheaper compared to EV tires, particularly Tesla tires.
- According to them, regular tires are much better on cold/wet roads because they grip the road much better than EV tires.
However, this is quite the opposite of what tire manufacturers claim when it comes to EV tire traction.
| Side Note: Some EV owners did not recognize the change in the EV tires’ traction, some said they had strong traction and others said the traction was not good. |
Generally, the traction will depend on the type of EV, tire specification, and brand.
- They experienced challenges at the tire repair shops. Apparently, most of the shops are hesitant to work on EV tires that have noise suspension foam.
- The regular tires covered more miles.
NOTE: This was purely the opinion of EV owners who have had experiences with both types of tires.
You might also like: Best EV Route Planner in 2022 (According To EV Owners).
Tire experts recommendations
According to tire experts in the industry, you don’t need an EV tire to get more miles on your tires. This is because there are many factors that affect how long your tires will last, regardless of whether they’re EV or regular tires.
| But when it comes to other tire features, it is entirely up to you to decide what you need most. For instance, between range and driving experience what would you be willing to sacrifice? |
The following are some of the factors that affect tire life according to tire experts:
- Tire temperature.
Most quality tires have high resistance to heat. However, everything has a breaking point.
Therefore, you need to be extremely keen when checking and ensuring that you buy quality tires that can withstand heat.
- Driving style/habits.
Some of the driving habits that may likely affect the rate at which your tire wears out include:
- Frequent hard braking (though this is rare when driving an EV).
- Making hard corners.
- Incorrect tire inflation. Over and under-inflating wears out the tires prematurely.
- Lack of proper tire rotation.
Other factors that may affect how fast the tire wears out are:
- Road quality.
- Tread depth.
- Tire alignment.
For more details on tire tread wear and causes, check out this article.
Related: What Causes Low Tire Pressure (And The Solutions).
See also:
8 smart tips for planning a road trip with an EV.
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Tire experts buying tips
Whether you’re getting EV special tires or regular tires for your EV, here are a few tips from EV experts in the industry:
- Make sure you have the right tire load rating.
You should get tires that have a high enough load rating to handle your EV.
Having the right load rating is in fact one of the main reasons why some EV owners reported covering more miles on their tires than others.
For instance, we found that there were some Tesla Model 3 owners who had only covered less than 16,000 miles on regular tires but had tire tread wear.
However, there were others who had gone for 50,000 miles and the tires looked like they can still withstand more miles.
Another interesting finding was that some of these Tesla Model 3 owners who got about 50,000 miles on their tires reported having done very few tire rotations.
But on the other hand, most of those who had done less than 16,000 miles were very keen on tire rotation.
Keep in mind that tire rotation is important for tire upkeep. But the key takeaway here was that those who had 50,000 miles had great tire load ratings compared to the others who had done less than 16k miles.
| Note: Some shops are not keen on what tires they mount on your EV, therefore having the right information will ensure that you get exactly what you want. |
See also: 4 Best Tesla Model 3 Tires (According to Model 3 Owners).
- Get the right tire size.
Be sure to get the right tire size for your wheel/trim selection.
- Buy the right tire that perfectly suits your needs.
For instance, if you need tires that perform well and improve your driving experience, depending on the weather, you should choose either all-season, winter, or summer tires.
You also need to choose between the longevity and the performance of the tires of your EV.
Based on feedback that we got from EV owners, those who prefer regular tires had to choose between safety and range when driving in winter.
Most of those who had switched from the EV special tires to regular tires did so because they wanted to feel safer when driving during the winter.
| Side Tip: When you use the wrong class of tires on your EV, they will certainly wear out fast. |
See also: List Of The Best All-Season Performance Tires.
Why EV experts recommend EV tires
- Since most EVs weigh much heavier than combustion cars, the EV tires account for the extra load.
- EVs have a much higher (instant) torque than regular cars. The EV special tires are made using highly durable materials that can support that.
Generally, EV experts recommend EV tires because of the amount of stress put on the tires by the car due to the weight of the battery and instant torque.
EV tires undergo a stiffer construction process to be able to handle the weight and lower the rolling resistance, thereby reducing energy wastage.
Lower rolling resistance is great for regenerative braking.
3 things to know about EV tires
- What are the best tires for range?
EV tires are the best if you want to get more range on your EV when compared to regular tires.
- Do electric cars need special tires?
No, however, it depends on what you desire to get from the special EV tires.
Keep in mind that both regular and special EV tires have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages.
- Are EV tires expensive?
Yes, the special EV tires cost more than the regular tires.
Final word
It is possible to use both the regular and the EV tires and still get more miles.
The number of miles you get on a tire will largely depend on:
- The amount you are willing to pay for a good quality tire.
- Whether the tire specifications match your type of EV.
- Your driving habits.
As technology keeps evolving every other day, I strongly believe that the future of EV tires is promising.
In the future, the EV tires will no doubt outdo the regular tires by far and buyers will not have to be torn between getting regular tires and EV tires.
