Reply To: HERES HOW TYRE CHOICE AFFECTS YOUR EV RANGE

#129764
sif

    You have raised a fascinating  subject. As with all difficult subjects its down to whatever priorities one sets and accepts. There are a few points I have come across.

    Summer tyres may be stickier and have less rolling resistance, low resistance tyres are less sticky that strictly summer tyres, and performance tyres, which are very sticky since you can go around bends faster. All season tyres wear the slowest of tyres, yet have to be changed earlier than summer tyres due to the need to keep more tread to be effective. That point is largely true of winter tyres. The compound is slightly softer in heat than summer tyres which might make a tyre more sticky and hence less economic in summer, plus wearing faster,  if you do what some do and run winter tyres all year around. Although it would  wear faster,  that is offset by deeper tread. Deeper tread is on all season tyres too, so that has to be factored in. So again a difficult choice. How can anyone assess the wear rate set against the increased tread depth? And the necessity to leave more tread for the necessary all season grip?

    If you own a car you have to make different calculations than if you lease one with motability. Changing tyres can be expensive as can a tyre hotel. Winter tyres are usually better on narrower rims so you need a set of steels that are narrower to do the job properly. When it comes to changing tyres on a motability car, KF are always ready to change before it becomes a priority as there is money in it. That means at least you can keep a decent amount of tread on the ultra low rolling resistance tyres you have probably been supplied with. Can you imagine those in winter near the limit?

    If there is one type of person who does not want to be stranded on a winters icy night its someone with a disability who is less likely to be able to trudge out. Yet does any manufacturer even give that a thought, despite the huge market of motability cars?

    The mileage penalty for less sticky tyres is offset by slightly worse handing. If you wanted to save money you might sell your manufacturer supplied tyres and fit a set of very cheap unknown chinese ditch finders. That would increase the likelihood of crashing however. Much of that comes down to what kind of driver you are, though it true that going for the safest option is a decision you are unlikely to regret.

    I always fit all season, with an EV you would have to offset that mileage penalty with driving as economically as you could, that might mean a harsher ride as you harvest energy from the brakes more aggressively and keeping  the cabin a little less pleasant an environment. Maybe in winter  you drive every where with the heated seat on rather than the heater and say that piles, haemorrhoids is a price worth paying. You drive everywhere as if you were auditioning for a job driving Miss Daisy

    I like the security of all season. I hate getting stuck on wet or muddy grass at some event where rain arrives unexpectedly. I like the idea of being relatively  mobile whatever the weather, be it snow or ice.

    It would be nice if we could have some sort of comparison to work from, but in the race to expand EV range its likely that the lowest rolling resistance tyres, whatever their year round performance will continue to be supplied with the vehicle.