Do electric vehicles (EVs) require tires that are specifically designed and built for EV applications or can already-existing tires with the correct attributes perform just as well on EVs?
It’s a question that’s on the minds of many tire dealers and consumers. In this MTD exclusive, tire manufacturers and suppliers weigh in and explain why. (Hint: it’s complicated.)
Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president, automotive, American Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd.: Vehicle application specifics determine the answer to this question, with some specific consumer preferences or needs further defining the answer. Specifically, the following application elements are the drivers in this decision:
Load/heavier weight. Based on the weight of the vehicle, primarily affected by the battery, this may require a tire with a higher rating, including XL or HL for non-LT designations. This also affects the expected wear of the tire.
Torque. The higher performance and torque of most EVs requires V- or W-rated tires that affect the wear of tires on EV applications. To improve the grip needed from stronger initial acceleration and higher output, this may require both mechanical and compounding changes for the tires.
Noise reduction. As EVs are inherently quieter than ICE vehicles, tire noise from non-EV tires will be more noticeable. There are noise reduction technologies available to improve this issue, but it does require potentially more costly changes to the tire. This issue is important for most consumers, particularly in initial replacement cycles
Rolling resistance. EV range is affected by the rolling resistance of the tire. There are trade-offs to offering enhanced rolling resistance, which may affect wear.
Dry/wet/winter traction and braking. Currently, many EV applications are provided with tires that have limitations related to four-season performance. Depending on the application, summer performance has been prioritized. Many consumers require four-season capability.
As always, the load and speed rating requirement as defined by the vehicle application cannot be compromised. The other elements likely affect performance and benefits that consumers need to understand relative to trade-offs. The most obvious one that everyone is seeing relates to wear, as most EV tires currently have shorter expected wear primarily due to the vehicle design and use but also related to the design decisions from the tire manufacturer or vehicle manufacturer.
Although Kenda is not currently offering EV options in North America, we are accelerating the analysis in the rapidly evolving market. Kenda is developing the technologies to enable EV tire designs that balance the trade-offs to support the vehicle application requirements.
Steven Liu, vice president, product development, proprietary brands, American Tire Distributors Inc.: The story answer is yes — you can put regular tires with the correct specs (example: load index) on EVs and (they) will perform from a safety standpoint. However, from the performance attribute aspect, regular, ICE car tires on EVs are likely to produce reduced mileage/tread life and higher noise level versus an EV-designated tire.
Travis Roffler, director of marketing, Continental Tire the Americas LLC: I can only speak for Continental products, but in simple terms, no — as long as the proper load capacity restrictions are observed. All Continental tire product lines are EV-ready and (are) designed to meet consumer needs, whether they drive an EV or ICE vehicle.
While tire and vehicle efficiency can be more top of mind for an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle customer, these needs exist similarly for vehicles with combustion engines. As a result, Continental ensures a high level of efficiency, as well as long tread life and a high level of grip and comfort.
David Poling, director of tire development and product marketing, Giti Tire (USA) Ltd.: The answer is yes and no. Although EVs are designed around specific requirements and have attributes that differ from some vehicles, the requirements of the tires are still the same — to support the load of the vehicle and provide traction to transfer the car’s power to the road. In that sense, any tire that meets these requirements can be used on EVs.
However, things are never as simple as they seem. Vehicle weight is generally higher for EVs due mainly to the battery pack weight, which can increase the weight by over 20%. Since tires are specified through industry standard guidelines to meet certain load requirements, there is really no difference between the tire requirements of an EV versus ICE vehicle. This excludes the new standard of tires designated as high load (HL), which must be designed to carry higher loads and is an evolving and separate discussion since at this time they are an insignificant volume. The massive amounts of horsepower and torque generated by EVs far exceed their ICE counterparts. However, most EVs have advanced systems to properly manage and deliver the horsepower and torque to the wheels. But this doesn’t mean that the system can’t deliver high levels of torque to the limits of the tires designed for the vehicle.
Noise is a critical component for tires fitted to EVs, (which are) are more sensitive to tire noise due to several factors, such as no combustion engine noise and vehicle platforms that may have less ability to dampen out noise. Some OE tires come with a foam ring inside of them, but this only reduces noise around a small frequency spectrum. A well-designed replacement tire without the foam can deliver similar low noise results that many times will be indistinguishable to most consumers. The range of the vehicle will be influenced by the energy efficiency of a tire — commonly referred to as the rolling resistance. The tire designed as OE on the vehicle will generally provide the range specified by the OEM. But this range comes at a trade-off to other tire performance attributes — generally treadwear. This is an identical situation that consumers face with ICE vehicles as OEMs require efficient tires in order to achieve government CAFE requirements. Consumers would experience similar percentage decreases in their fuel economy (ICE) or range (EV) with a standard replacement tire. The issue is the sensitivity of people to the vehicle range of an EV. So yes, a regular replacement tire can be used with the understanding that the range will decrease depending on the tire. A replacement tire can be fitted to an EV and perform well, with the tradeoffs previously listed. If the consumer’s focus is vehicle range, then a standard replacement tire that is designed for long mileage will not deliver a similar range to the OE tire. Giti has the technology to design highly efficient tires, as we do for many OEMs around the world, but in North America, most consumers have opted for higher mileage over energy efficiency and that is what we have been focused on in the replacement market. The key to success in the EV market will be developing the proper strategy to best suit the needs of consumers.
Dave Reese, vice president, product development, Americas, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.: While technically, non-EV-specific tires may fit select electric vehicles, not all are not engineered to address performance needs that are specific to EVs, and therefore, would likely not provide the driver with the same driving experience traditionally expected.
The added weight and torque associated with EVs can impact several factors when it comes to tire performance — most importantly, load capacity, treadwear and vehicle range. In addition, noise from the road is often more noticeable when considering the quiet ride usually found with EVs. Goodyear is developing many products for commercial, consumer and off-highway segments that are equipped for the demanding needs of electric vehicles and balance the performance requirements desired from a growing audience of adopters.
Moonki Cho, product manager, Hankook Tire America Corp.: EVs require tires developed specifically for this vehicle type as there are key technical demands that an EV places on its tires — heavier weight, battery efficiency, road noise, and traction.
EVs have heavier lithium-ion battery packs that can add 10% to 20% more weight and stress to load-bearing components across the chassis compared to their ICE-powered equivalent. The increased weight of EVs causes tires to wear out approximately 20% faster than ICE vehicles. To account for this additional weight, an EV tire must be built with new materials, such as a new tread compound or a reinforcement belt applied with Aramid fiber. EV tires are designed to bear the heavy weight of an EV, as well as extend tire life in a more sustainable way.
An EV must maximize its battery life and a key component of this is reducing rolling resistance. A more rigid tread pattern and prominent center section can compensate for weight distribution and higher friction contact point with the road, providing a more streamlined, efficient design — and thus lower rolling resistance to increase an EV’s battery range.
As the car's powertrain changes from engine to electric motor, the cabin noise inside EVs can be noticeably louder than in ICE vehicles. EV tires are designed to reduce this noise. Knurling technology inside the tire grooves reduces tread pattern noise, while an absorbing foam material inside the tire helps further reduce resonance.
With a high instant torque, EVs provide ultimate power delivery. That means EV tires need improved traction, steering and braking performance to handle the vehicle’s output and high acceleration.
Our new iON product portfolio is specifically tailored for high-end electric vehicles.
Walter Chen, product planning specialist, Maxxis International-USA: Although not required, using tires specifically developed for EV applications is recommended. These tires are designed to handle the added weight of the battery pack, reduce noise and increase driving range.
Ultra-high performance EV tires are capable of handling the heavier vehicle-weight, electric motor high-torque output and provide excellent cornering grip. Grand touring EV tires prioritize comfort, range, noise reduction and longer tread wear. Maxxis’ Victra Sport EV, a UHP summer tire, has a footprint shape that is optimized for the higher inflation pressure of EVs. If the tire’s footprint is not ideal, tread wear and performance can be negatively affected.”
Russell Shepherd, technical communications director, Michelin North America Inc.: EVs do not require specific tires. As with all vehicles, Michelin's first recommendation is the OE tire designed for the specific vehicle. However, many consumers find that other tires in the market provide a balance of performance for their needs and driving styles. Even in the case of EVs, this is true and perfectly acceptable, as long as the tire size and attributes — such as load index — are respected.
A very common example is the use of winter tires on electric vehicles, in locations where there are significant winter accumulations or due to regulations. Another example can be seen with consumers who choose an all-season tire compared to the summer tires which come OE on certain EVs.
Aaron Neumann, product development manager, Nexen Tire America Inc.: The OE tires on EVs are specifically designed to meet the car manufacturer’s targets. Normally, they are looking for the lowest rolling resistance so that they can get the range as high as possible and be competitive in the wider EV market. But we also have to watch treadwear and noise very closely. EVs are heavier and have more torque, which creates more tire wear.
When an EV owner comes in for their first (tire) change, they can put on a suitable replacement tire of their choice. But they should be prepared to see a drop in range because most likely the replacement tire will have higher rolling resistance and there could be other trade-offs in handling and comfort, as well. On the positive side, they may get longer tread life with the replacement tire.
Ian Coke, chief technology officer, Pirelli Tire North America Inc.: Pirelli advocates putting EV tires on EVs because those tires have been designed for the attributes of an EV. If you put a higher rolling resistance tire on that vehicle, you will lose range. We know that. And you would never put a tire that has an incorrect load rating on a heavier vehicle. If you put the wrong tire on an EV, you will see the difference.
One of the biggest things we are seeing in the EV world is that because of the load and higher amount of torque, the wear rate increases quite dramatically. EVs tend to eat tires. As EVs become normal and the majority of the market, it is necessary to write 'EV' on the sidewall because these tires are developed to cope with rolling resistance requirements and heavier loads. By definition, we design tires to cope with all of those attributes. But an ICE vehicle doesn't necessarily have all the requirements of an EV.
The market is going EV. It's inevitable now. And it's not just the front end that's been pushed along, but also the back end. The EV world moves much faster than the ICE world. It's the biggest revolution in the tire industry since (the invention of) the radial.
Steve Bourassa, director of products, Nokian Tyres Inc.: Many tiremakers, including Nokian, are introducing dedicated EV tires that are adept at meeting the demands of electric vehicles and the needs of drivers. Those needs include a sturdy structure built to withstand the added weight and torque of EVs; technology aimed at minimizing cabin noise; and low-rolling-resistance rubber compounds that increase range. Our EV-specific winter tires, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 EV and R5 EV, were tailored to acutely meet those specific demands. There is a segment of drivers within the EV market that values these tailored benefits, such as added efficiency and range.
However, it is certainly possible for already-existing tires to meet these needs. As a Scandinavian company that makes tires in an area of the world where EVs are very popular, we have factored the needs of EV drivers into our product development process for several years. We formulate our rubber compounds to maximize comfort and efficiency. More than 90% of our tires are in the lowest categories of rolling resistance. We construct our tires to withstand heavier loads.
Jack McClure, segment manager, PLT, Sailun Tire Americas: Although traditional tires with correct attributes and specifications can be used on EVs, there are many benefits when fitting an electric vehicle with EV-specific tires. This is a similar discussion to the old debate of choosing between dedicated winter tires versus all-season tires. If you are looking for the best performance and driving experience, the answer is yes — go with winter tires. Ideally, the answer should also be yes — go with EV specific tires if you want to get the most out of your electric vehicle. When roads are covered with snow and ice, winter tires are appreciated by those that have them and the same applies to EV drivers with dedicated EV tires.
Overall, every car, crossover, truck or SUV needs to have tires with the correct load index, speed rating, etc., and all traditional tires can be sourced to meet those basic requirements for an EV, too. However, EVs have major factors to consider when it comes to choosing tires, such as additional weight, additional torque and the fact that EV drivers want to avoid unwanted road noise from tires as they have nearly silent operation. EV tires help address those needs and in the instance of Sailun ERANGE EV tires, they have been specifically designed, constructed and tested for EV applications.
As more and more vehicle manufacturers offer additional electric car, truck and SUV options, the need for tires that specifically enhance EV performance, help increase range and also deliver a quiet and comfortable driver experience has never been greater.
Tsuyoshi Johnson, product manager, PCR tires, Falken Tires, Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.: As long as a tire meets the standard criteria (load index, speed rating, etc.) for a vehicle, previously existing tires will provide the basic services they provide for non-EV vehicles. It’s when you ask vehicle owners what they expect from a set of tires that you should consider whether certain products can deliver on their expectations.
Every driver has their own set of priorities when it comes to tire expectations. This was true before EVs and with the introduction of EVs comes a new set of expectations. Whether their main priority is a quiet ride, maximizing range, better wear characteristics to hold up to the immediate torque output of EVs or a balance of all the above — (this) will determine if a tire will meet expectations. It all really comes down to personal preference.
So in short, no — EVs don’t require tires that were specifically designed and manufactured for EV applications. However, there will be EV owners who prefer tires that were specifically designed for their vehicle if their driving habits align with those tires’ main performance attributes.
Mike Park, assistant director of marketing, brand division, Tireco: EVs are heavier and have more torque than vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, so there’s more pressure being put on the tires. EVs are quiet and their range can be impacted by the tire’s rolling resistance. In theory, EVs require a quiet, low rolling resistance tire that doesn’t compromise performance when it’s driven on heavier vehicles with more torque, but they do not require a specific EV tire.
The EV market is growing fast, but the total market volume is still relatively small and there are very few tire manufacturers that have developed EV-specific tires. For now, having the right sizes, load indexes and speed applications that meet the EV OE specs is most important.
Joaquin Gonzalez Jr., president, Tire Group International LLC: EVs as a specialty car segment have their uniqueness. For instance, because of EVs’ heavy battery weight, they require tires with higher UTQG and stronger sidewalls. With the lack of special tire designs to match the launch of the EVs, auto manufacturers are currently using existing tires that are compatible with the safety requirements as a quick fix. For example, the Tesla Model 3 is using Michelin Pilot Sport All Season Tire with 540 AA A and Bridgestone Potenza Sport 700 AA A as its OE tire.
However, since last year, more and more tire manufacturers have launched budget EV specialty tires with 600 AA ratings. Going forward, with the standardization of EV tire requirements, the EV auto manufacturers would be more inclined to use EV specialty tires as their standard OE tires. They are currently waiting for the major brand manufacturers to launch new product lines for the EV space. Therefore, we can reasonably predict that more tire manufacturers will push out EV specialty tires into the OE and replacement market in the future.
TGI currently offers EV compatible tire programs for our consumers. Furthermore, TGI has partnered with private brand OE manufacturers and exclusive brand manufacturers both in Asia and in Europe to develop EV specialty tires. We are well positioned in the EV specialty tire segment, with an estimated launching time in 2024.
Roman Racela, marketing director, Transamerica Tires: EVs require specialized tires. Conventional tires made for ICE vehicles typically would not be able to handle the performance requirements of specialized EV tires. In general, EVs are much heavier than their ICE counterparts because of the massive batteries that power them. In addition, EVs accelerate faster and have more torque, leading to faster wear on conventional tires. It is still common to see 25% faster wear on tires designed specifically for EVs than comparable ICE vehicles with conventional tires.
Chris Tolbert, director of sales, Trimax Tire Corp.: The big three challenges are vehicle weight, tire noise and rolling resistance. The original thought was that (a tire) must be (designated) XL to handle additional weight requirements. As electric vehicles are expanding from sedans to bigger CUVs, SUVs and light trucks, advanced technology is transitioning to high load capacity. With quieter vehicles, tire noise becomes a bigger factor to ensure quietness. Lastly, rolling resistance affects the number of miles that (EVs can) go between an electric charging station. Advanced technology with different compounds will need to be developed to handle the performance characteristics.
Manufacturers are projecting (EV) sales to be over 10% by 2030. For this to happen, the infrastructure of high-speed charging stations must be in place. Retail stores will also need to adjust service requirements to handling the different service needs of electric vehicles.
