Best Tires For EV's

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‍What's different about electronic vehicle tires versus gas?

There are indeed some major differences in how Evs and gas powered vehicle bodies work and how they perform.

Electric Vehicles are heavier

While supporting a big battery that weighs more than an engine, and often a motor per wheel, an electric vehicle weighs more than a standard car, even when it is loaded with gas. Tires need to be strong in order to handle that weight while cornering and going up and down hill. The weight distribution is also different because a battery park is usually under the car instead of a gas powered motor up front.

More torque

You've probably seen videos of a Tesla in “Insane Mode”. They can accelerate quite quickly thanks to the near automatic conversion of battery power to their motors while gas motors must first combust liquid gas to make the wheels fly. Especially if you intend to use faster acceleration modes, you'll want to look at tires with good sporty treads that will stay in a straight line with taking off quickly.

Less noise

The hum of a gasoline engine is often capable of covering up most of the road noise produced by tires. EV drivers often crave quieter tires because they can more readily hear the road noise, as the electric motors are nearly silent.

Efficiency

Many EV drivers have a consistent desire to get as much range out of their battery as possible. Tires play a part in this by wasting a little energy as possible, and generally being highly aerodynamic.

Best Tires for EV

Best EV Tires for a Quiet Ride - Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack

We think the name is pretty clear here. QuietTrack is Bridgestone's attempt to use in groove tracks and pitch sequencing within their treads to best reduce noise entering your EV. You'll also feel the quiet effects of ComfortCruise technology which provides a larger, round contact patch that reduces vibration which also results in additional noise.

The QuietTrack does very well on TireRack, earning high marks for wet and dry performance as well as good remarks for comfort at 9. You'll also love it's steering tests though drivers who used it in hardened real world tests felt like it hit its limit while cornering.

It is worth noting that this is not a true performance tire – though it does handle TireRack's slalom test well – it's about a second behind tires that are more all season and performance based than quiet driven. For safety, it does pretty well in having a shorter stopping distance than most competitive tires in the rain.

The QuietTrack comes with a lengthy warranty, especially if you aren't planning to drive your EV frequently. 5 years is fairly standard, but 80,000 miles is better than average.

We can't quite throw a price out for you because your vehicle may readily vary. Head over to TireRack and select either your size or your vehicle to see if it fits. Regardless of price, you get free shipping to your home or an independent auto shop with TireRack, so it is really win-win!

Best EV Tires for Fuel Economy - Michelin Energy Saver A/S

The Michelin Energy Saver A/S helps save the energy put out by your battery powered vehicles and enhances mileage. Michelin has developed and implemented a unique compound capable of keeping the tire cool so that all the energy is transferred to the road instead of into the tire. The tire is also symmetrical (some tires have asymmetrical treads of patterns for the sake of more aggressive traction) which helps make it nice and even.

Compared to other tires designed for Evs, the Energy Saver did very well on a head to head test. First, compared to a pair of Goodyear FuelMax tires, which did well themselves, the Energy Saver did manage to squeak out a couple more miles per gallon (measured with different wording for an EV, but the point stands) at 53 compared to 50. The dry and wet stopping distance were quite competitive too, though not quite the best compared to Goodyear Integrity on dry.

The numbers are great for people who want to get every last drop of power out of that battery, or who otherwise might have some “range anxiety” and frequently find themselves nearly out of power on the road.

Like the QuietTrack, the Energy Saver is not a performance tire and doesn't rank all that well with high performance driving. In other words, we would suggest pursuing the Energy Saver if you either don't own a Tesla or don't plan to accelerate particularly quickly on a regular basis, which doesn't sound like something one would do while driving tires for the primary purpose of saving electricity.

You can find your size here at TireRack and get the Energy Saver shipped for free.

Best EV tires for performance - Continental Pure Contact LS

We were talking mostly about quiet tires and rubber that will save you some mileage. Let's get into the “fun” tires that can more readily take some of the more extreme driving that an electric vehicle can provide.

The PureContact offers a sporty feel without going over the top. A +Silent additive within the compound for the PureContact makes this among the best tires on this list for the purpose of driving in the rain too – while adding a wide rib for confident traction in a straight line, which is essential for using the launch modes that come with some electric vehicles.

PureContact is highly regarded with a 9 of 10 on wet and 9.3 on dry. This is fairly well balanced for a more performance based tire, since they often aren't well built for wet. Comfort is a little lower than the QuietTrack, but you can't have too much of a good thing with quiet tires if you want them to go fast too.

In a head to head test against a Bridgestone WeatherPeak and Michelin's well known CrossClimate, the PureContact feels the best on a Tesla or other higher powered EV. Handling and balance is overall better than CrossClimate, which has its own strengths in wet conditions. PureContact also held the road very well in TireRack's slalom contests with competitive middle rating and an unusually short stopping distance on wet and dry.

Go pick out your size at TireRack and you'll see what we are talking about.

The warranty is also nice with a 6 year or 70,000 mile guarantee. It is worth noting that the treadwear rating on this tire is pretty good at 8.7 – though if you do plan to use aggressive launch modes, you'll use that tread faster.

Best EV tires for performance- Pirelli Cinturato P7

The Pirelli Cinturato P7 offers the kind of grip and acceleration desired by people who own a higher powered electric vehicle. They offer a wider shoulder and the continuous ribs needed for both a quick take off, and taking a corner a bit harder than average.

The ratings on the Cintuarto aren't all that high with an 8.2 on wet and 8.5 on dry per TireRack's subjective ratings. Some reviewers also noted that the Pirelli's are super sticky in warmer weather, which is great for owners who live in the southern United States and frequently will be driving in 70 to 80 plus degrees – as sticky is what high performance drivers want in that scenario.

The Cinturato was not subject to head to head performance tests, but we believe it would do well against competitors in the segment.

Best Winter Tires for an EV - Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32

A decade ago, the idea of driving an EV through the winter didn't sound quite right. Evs have come a long way, and even though their range is less on ice, snow, and cold – a gasoline car also gets worse mileage when the temperature drops.

If you drive your EV on snow and ice on a regular basis, you should strongly consider getting snow tires for your EV, especially if winter driving makes you nervous. While there are a few snow tires out there, no one has been around longer maker better tires than Bridgestone with their Blizzak line.

Blizzak employs a unique polymer meant to keep the tread flexible in cold and wet conditions. They also put tread blocks on the outside to encourage digging into snow, and aggressive sipes and treads that funnel water and snow out quickly.

Snow tires warranties are different in that most of the time, none are offered. Please note that while a snow tire will help you maintain better control when starting and stopping in the snow, they don't make your vehicle better able to withstand race car like driving in the snow. Slow down and move with the traffic.

Why should I be concerned about which tires I buy?

Tires aren't all the same. Even the tires that came with your car are meant specifically for that vehicle, and it's weight, power, and abilities. The first tires your vehicle comes with are also stickier and likely to see less time than average.

While you certainly can buy any right sized tire at a tire shop, we strongly recommend doing a little research first. The tires you see don't often have much information about how well they really work on an EV, much less offer info about real world results. You should also think about how you specifically plan to use your vehicle and the local weather.

How do I get tires installed online?

Websites like TireRack and SimpleTire ship tires either to your place or to a local tire shop for free. If you live in an apartment or otherwise don't have the room for four large tires, we would recommend having them shipped to a tire shop so you can avoid having to transport and store tires.

The tire shop will charge you labor and potentially on some level, parts to install your tires – but they are far more convenient than having giant rubber clogging up your garage.

Should I put a spare tire in my EV?

Not all Evs have room for a spare tire. Let's also add that you will need a scissor jack, lug wrench, and maybe an air compressor and it might not be worth bringing a spare tire with. If you can spare the room for a spare tire, you can avoid having to call a tow truck, but space might be at a premium anyway.

About The Author

Charles Redding

I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.