Electric vehicles (EVs) may make up a small percentage of the overall vehicle population, but many tire dealers are seeing more of them.
One of those dealers is Joe Ramsay, CEO of Reformed Management Group, which operates eight stores on the west coast of Florida under two brands: JSN Auto Repair and Mickey Franklin Tire & Auto.
Ramsay says his locations are “definitely seeing” more EVs. And he’s seeing more EVs around town.
“I went to dinner the other day and looked around in the parking lot and I think half of the vehicles were Teslas, so this is definitely a real trend.”
That said, EV owners are not the “top customers” at JSN Auto and Mickey Franklin Tire locations — at least right now.
Because of this, he says EV-specific tires are not widely stocked at all of his locations, though his stores in higher-income areas like Sarasota or Fort Myers do inventory more of them.
Ramsay’s stores also stock tires that haven’t been specifically designed and built for EV tires, but are EV-compatible, “so we can use them for other customers, too. We are trying to have the broadest reach.”
Usually, EV owners “aren’t buying a full set of tires,” he adds. “Eight out of 10 times, it’s just a tire replacement or repair. If someone were to order a full set of EV tires, those are usually special-ordered.”
However, when an EV driver comes into one of Ramsay's locations, he says he and his sales team must be “more on their game.
“EV tire customers have a higher likelihood of being the early adopters in this segment and they are a lot more interested in performance and focused on how many miles they’re getting on a charge.
“They are a lot more in-tune with their vehicle and the technology that it has, which makes them a much more informed customer.”
Ramsay says these customers tend to already have an idea of what they want, compared to other tire customers, who rely more on a salesperson's recommendations.
“No matter what, the customer must see you as an expert. You need to be prepared to have an intelligent conversation about a specific tire versus (another) brand or line of tires.”
Looking for the 'quietest ride possible'
Jim Sorum is the vice president of Los Angeles, Calif.-based Fairmount Tire & Rubber Inc., which has three retail stores and five wholesale locations across California.
Sorum says Fairmount Tire has an advantage because he and the dealership’s president both drive EVs.
“We’re also in a unique area being in southern California,” says Sorum. (One in four new cars sold in California last year were zero-emission, according to a recent report from the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.)
Fairmount Tire has adapted by making sure it stocks tires with the right sizes, speed ratings and load ratings that EVs require.
“EV’s are a different animal, so we stock and carry EV-specific tires.”
He says a customer who owns an internal combustion engine-powered Toyota Corolla, for example, may not be as focused on tire performance as an EV owner.
“An EV owner notices everything,” says Sorum, who adds that EV owners will be more aware of weight distribution, while paying closer attention to the load rating because the weight of EVs can drastically shorten the life of a tire.
“We’re hyper-focused on the tire and we’re also trying to educate ourselves,” he notes.
When it comes to selling tires to EV owners, Sorum says sales tactics don’t stray too far from normal techniques.
“When you get a customer, you’re still going to want to ask them what their driving habits are, what their pain points are and what they are specifically looking for in a tire.”
He says finding out what kind of driver they are helps with the sale because some customers who aren’t planning to keep their vehicle for a long time will be looking for a more economical replacement.
Other customers may say they drive a lot, so they are looking for a tire that provides a high level of comfort.
“As a tire dealer, you’re looking at all these things and then you’re trying to find out what their budget is. EVs are a little different because these customers are often in-tune with their vehicle and the ride and experience they want.
“We continually hear that EV customers want the most mileage they can get and 90% of EV owners I talk to say they want the quietest ride possible.”
Sorum says he equates an EV customer to a high-end, European high-performance vehicle owner in terms of their expectations.
“Ask them what their top two things they are looking for in their tires,” he says.
When it comes to general EV growth, Sorum says that the current infrastructure supporting EVs will be the greatest hindrance to the segment’s expansion.
“In our area of southern California, which is a little ahead of the curve, I think EVs will continue to grow. But across the nation, I don’t think it’s going to grow nearly as fast as people think because of the lack of infrastructure.”
“I bought my EV in February 2022 and when I first started going to EV charging stations, I was the only one there.
“Now when I go to that same charging station, there are usually four cars utilizing the charging ports and six cars in line. So there is a lot more demand.”
Filling the role of educator
While some tire dealers are just getting into EV tire sales and service, Steve Dupoise and his team at County Tire Center Hybrid EV in Middlebury, Vt., have more than a decade of hybrid and EV service under their belts.
It all began in 2013 when one of Dupoise’s technicians admitted he was bored and in need of a new challenge.
Dupoise found a hybrid vehicle training center and sent that technician to school and the tire dealership then “dove in.”
To service the many Toyota Prius’ in the local market, County Tire Center Hybrid EV also invested in the purchase of Toyota software.
Over time, it was just natural to add EVs to the mix.
The dealership has secured access to Tesla parts and will start advertising that it offers Tesla service. (Tesla recently opened a dealership 50 miles away from his business.)
County Tire Center Hybrid EV’s current roster of technicians includes two who are Tesla-qualified and a third who is a hybrid-EV technician.
They aren’t removing EV batteries from vehicles but they do perform plenty of tire and brake service in the dealership’s 10 service bays, says Dupoise.
Some EV owners expect to “save a ton of money in fuel,” but don’t realize some of those savings need to be reinvested in other repairs, including new tire purchases. So County Tire Center Hybrid EV has filled the role of educator at times.
“That’s the nature of an EV,” notes Dupoise.
“An EV is a heavy car, so when you’re selling EV tires, you want to make sure you sell the right load index to help take the weight.”
Over time, Dupoise and his team have honed their tire recommendations for hybrid and electric models. They’ve also learned to tailor suggestions and conversations to the driver.
“If you have a heavy foot and you go buy an EV, you might be especially surprised of how quickly you’re wearing through those tires.”
Due to this quick churn through tires, Dupoise said some customers aren’t interested in spending money on premium tire brands at replacement.
Others are more open to investing in aftermarket parts that have been designed to offset the rear camber and ultimately help prevent immature inner tire wear. But Dupoise admits “it’s not a cheap venture to fix that.”
One Tesla driver wasn’t happy with his original set of tires, so in the fall he opted for a set of winter tires.
Dupoise says that by springtime, those tires were showing wear on the inner edge, so rather than swap them for a summer or all-season tire, the customer opted to “burn them off for the summer” before investing in another all-season set.
“The big thing is trying to educate the customer on what they’re driving and what needs to be fixed,” Dupoise said.
Reminding customers of the importance of regular tire rotations is another important task.
He’s also learned to ask customers what research they’ve already done before arriving at the sales counter. Some customers come armed with lots of information. Others might need more time to study additional options.
“You always want to make sure you don’t upset the customer. You’ve got to be really careful about how you discuss it with your customers. Somebody who is really passionate about their EV is going to know way more than I do because I work on a number of different brands of EVs,” and a passionate consumer is likely to dive deep into the details of their particular make and model.
Over the years, Dupoise has learned it’s best to educate customers to the best of his ability.
He recommends checking the transmission fluid in the Toyota Prius every 30,000 miles, among other preventive maintenance services. (As time goes on, the fluid removes the coating off the wires, says Dupoise.)
Just like County Tire Center Hybrid EV entered the hybrid and EV service space early, the company is now setting its sights on its next big service opportunity: advanced-driver assistance systems (ADAS).
He’s also working to open a second business that will offer automotive service and tires, with the added capability of ADAS calibrations and alignments.
“I’m trying to get ahead of the game like we did with hybrid (and) EV.”
