Here’s why electric vehicles need EV-specific tires

Electric vehicles promise freedom from constant car maintenance. Oil and filters, spark plugs, tune-ups, diesel particulate traps, diesel exhaust aftertreatment fluid, and countless other parts have been replaced. There's not a lot to deal with.

There was a funny thing on the way to petrol-free bliss. The tire that connects the car to the road still flexes. Every so often, it needs to be replaced. The demands of a motor on traction, load, and noise are not the same if that motor is silent. EV-specific tires are required by the vehicles.

What are the differences between tires for cars and trucks? We spoke to several tire companies to better understand what goes into the tire oven and what testing has proven before the tires hit the street.

If you want to use the tires for your EV car's wheels, be aware that it would be a bad idea. The tires for EV are designed to handle the added weight, dynamic loading, and tractive demands of an EV. The use of non-EV tires will likely result in more accelerated wear, heat related issues, and the potential for wheelspin from a rest, which, even with traction control, could induce a loss of directional stability.

Weight and load

There are some differences between ICE and EV cars. EV's are heavier than similar ICE cars. The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4Matic has a curb weight of 5,597 lbs, while the ICE S500 4Matic has a curb weight of 4,609 lbs. The cars aren't on the same platform, but they are the same size class and sit in the same general segment. Due to the fact that batteries weigh a lot, the EV is almost 1000 lbs heavier. The basic construction of the tire carcass needs to be up to the task of supporting such a heavy load in the future.

A lot of people think that only a tire's rubber compound can affect traction and grip. The tread pattern, the depth of the tread blocks, and the void volume between them all contribute to changes in a tire's load capacity.

In the EV, the battery weight is distributed evenly front to back. There's a cloud around every silver lining. If the weight was centralized in the middle of the car, it would benefit the car in a number of ways. Once an EV is moving and changing direction, a long, wide battery isn't helpful. The tire's load capacity needs to be more than what the car can handle. Structural rigidity under that EQS's 5,597 lbs is not just when stationary but also when it's decelerated.