Tesla Tyres and EV Tyres | Hometyre Mobile EV Tyre Specialists in Kent

Electric cars, the future or just a fad?

Well, from the research and where car manufactures, electric cars will soon take over internal combustion engines (ICE) to become the dominant force on the road. With little maintenance, the main wear points are in the brakes and the tyres. But can I put normal tyres on my electric car?

Yes and no.

Yes, they may be black, made of rubber compounds and provide traction to the road but having an electric vehicle specific tyre means much more;

To cope with the weight and the rapid acceleration, the bead (and generally the internal structure of the tyre) is different when compared to an ICE tyre. Whether it be in the shape of a square, standard circular or some obtuse/weird shape such as a star (we wouldn't know without cutting through the cords as it's mostly a trade secret!) the shape dictates how the tyre performs under stress.

Speaking of trade secrets, compound differences.

To decrease the rolling resistance of the tyre (which in turn increases range), more silica is used. The science behind this is long and complicated but trust us, it does work!

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One final item is that some electric tyres have an addition of a foam layer inside of the tyre. As EVs are so quiet, this foam lining helps to reduce tyre noise which is one of the biggest contributions to discomfort in the cabin. See below for what the layer looks like!

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We advise against mix and matching electric specific tyres on an electric vehicle as there have been reports of the motors prematurely 'dying' due to different rolling resistances. The same can also be seen in a BMW XDrive (All wheel drive) system in where the tread depths need to have no more than 2mm difference across an axle.

With the advent of electric cars, there is soon to be a revolution in tyres and thus the availability and accessibility of mid-range and even budget centric electric tyres should be increasing!

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Tesla's, Porsches and Volkswagen's line up of electric vehicles are now using specific electric tyres that can be identified by a symbol/symbols on the side of the tyre. If you're unsure if your car has a fitment, have a look here!