How To Choose The Right Tyre For Electric Cars

If you’ve taken the step of buying an electric vehicle (EV), you’ll already be aware that it’s a different driving experience from that of a petrol car. But, if you haven’t yet had to replace them, you may not be aware that EVs need different tyres to petrol cars in order to deal with the different ways in which they work.

We’ve examined the more general subject of picking the correct tyre for your vehicle in this previous blog, but in this article, we’re looking at why electric car tyres need to be different from standard tyres, and how you can make sure you’re getting the right ones for your own electric car. 

Why do electric cars need different tyres to petrol cars?

There are four main reasons you need special tyres for electric cars: to deal with the extra weight of the battery, to cope with the instant torque you get from the engine, to reduce noise levels and to extend the battery range.

Let’s look at these different factors in more detail:

• Battery weight
  While a standard car battery weighs in at about 18kg, the battery needed for an electric car can weigh as much as 450kg, so the tyres you use need to be strong and heavy enough to safely carry that considerable extra load.
• Torque
  Unlike a combustion engine, an electric engine provides instant torque. What that means in practice is that as soon as you accelerate, you’re deploying the engine’s full power, rather than the slower and more gradual increase you get by shifting through gears. This means that your tyres are likely to be subject to greater wear and tear.
• Noise levels
  As an electric engine is effectively silent, if you have standard tyres fitted, then the noise they produce will be far more intrusive and noticeable inside the cabin of the car. Tyres for electric cars are designed to produce lower noise levels to make the driving experience more pleasurable for those inside.
• Battery range
  In the same way that driving with underinflated tyres can increase your fuel consumption, so the type of tyres you use on an electric car can extend the range of a charge, in some cases by as much as 10%, as recently reported by the RAC.  

How to choose the right tyres for your electric car

When you need to buy new tyres for your electric vehicle, you need a supplier who has the kind of choice available so that you’re sure to find the perfect fit every time. 

Here at UK Tyres, our depots in West and North London hold one of the biggest stocks of tyres in the area, including performance tyres, 4×4 tyres, taxi tyres, commercial tyres and, of course, a great range of tyres for electric vehicles made by leading brands and suitable for all budgets. 

To find the right one for your vehicle, just enter your registration number into our online tool and choose from the wide selection available.

When you’ve made your choice, you can drop into your nearest depot to have your new tyres professionally fitted, or take advantage of our mobile tyre fitting service. Contact us now to find out more!