Choose the right tyres for your EV The difference is energising.
EVs have specific needs. Your tyres need to meet them.
The choice of tyres plays a significant role in the EV driving experience. This is because EVs have some unique performance and technical considerations which the majority of passenger vehicle tyres are not designed to handle. Understanding what the EV specific needs are will help you choose the right tyre for your EV.
What you need to know about choosing tyres for your EV
Additional Weight Weighing up the difference.
Similar sized EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) passenger vehicles, can have weight differences of up to 500 kg or more. The additional weight of the EV means there are more physical forces to overcome when accelerating, cornering and braking. This can translate to fast tyre wear. particularly if you choose tyres that are not able to handle the increased additional physical forces that EVs introduce.
Instant Torque Testing tyres from the starting line
The instantaneous power of EVs provides rapid acceleration and can challenge the traction and handling capabilities of conventional tyres. Much like you need tyres that grip and handle effectively under the extra weight, they need to do so under rapid power transfer too. Choosing the incorrect tyres will degrade the driving experience and the tyres, and could well be dangerous in adverse conditions or as the tread gets low.
Rolling Resistance The impact of smooth running.
For the maximum distance between each charge, a tyre with a low rolling resistance is a must for EV owners. It’s important to make sure this does not come at the expense of grip of handling, as might be experienced with budget options. This really is a compromise you don’t want to make with any vehicle, but even less so with a heavy, high torque EV. The right tyre will keep you safe and help maximise your EV's range.
Road Noise Keep control of the volume setting
With little to no engine noise to mask the sound generated by the moving vehicle, drivers and passengers experience a lot more of the sound generated by the tyres on the road. Where up to 50% of what you hear in an ICE vehicle is from the powertrain, only 15% of the noise is generated by the electric motor. Tyres engineered to help reduce the noise at the source (literally where the rubber hits the road) provide the best acoustic performance.
All Continental tyres are EV ready. Take confidence from this sign.
We’ve been optimising our tyres to stand up to heavy, high torque vehicles since well before EVs became mainstream. But to make it even easier to see that our tyres are EV compatible, from we’re adding an ‘EV Ready’ logo to every new tyre we’re releasing that is also sold in the European market. Take confidence from knowing every tyre with the EV Ready logo is able to handle heavy, high-torque pressure, reduces road noise and the rolling resistance. More than that, you can take confidence from knowing each tyre has also been been optmised for the high levels of performance and safety Continental is known for.
9 out 10 EV Manufacturers Choose Continental You can too.
9 of the 10 most successful manufacturers of electric vehicles choose Continental as original equipment for their vehicles. This includes Tesla, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz – who rely on Continental’s technological expertise for their original equipment tyres. Asian manufacturers like KIA and BYD as well as other American vehicle manufacturers such as Ford, also choose tyres from Continental as OE fitments for their electric vehicles.
The Most Advanced EV Tyres in the World Welcome to the World of Extreme E
Teams compete in a round-the-world competition that pits driver and machine against some of the most gruelling conditions on earth. The tyres have to withstand scorching heat while providing enough traction for a huge 2.3 metre wide, 400kw race-tuned vehicle that can climb up sand dunes. They must grip in sub-zero temperatures, through ice and snow, and plough through water and wet terrain. It’s the ultimate test for the most advanced EV tyres in the world.
