[rajiv.agrawal]

Top of the Sunday morning to fellow BHPians:-) pray for everyone's happiness & safety.

I wanted to learn about the kind of tyres used by EVs world over. Are they the regular petrol/diesel saloon tyres meant for asphalt roads or are they specialized/tougher akin to off road tyres? If yes, then is it because EVs have far more torque than such regular saloons?

And what about the other parts, like batteries, motors etc etc., are they indigenous or partly imported?

Also, are these tyres being imported by Indian EV manufacturers/SKD or CKD foreign manufacturers or are they being supplied by our own Indian tyre companies?

I am yet to be able to buy any EV, financially...LOL, but the automobile junkie in me has been pestering me for answers, hence this post.

Regards

Rajiv Agrawal

[carthick1000]

The tire design process is going to be more or less the same for an EV and a normal ICE car. But the input parameters/requirements for the design will be slightly different and more challenging:

Requirement - Parameter - Design decisions

1. EVs tend to be heavier than their ICE counterpart - Handle more weight - Increased load bearing capacity of the tread, plies and sidewalls
   
2. Instant acceleration - Handle more torque - Improved tread pattern and rubber compounds
   
3. Better range and efficiency - Have low rolling resistance - Tall and narrow tires (BMW i3 is a classic example. No it's not the spare tire)
   
   
4. Should be quieter than ICE car as there is no engine noise - Improved sound damping - Silent tread compounds, damping materials in inner lining of tires (Tesla model X tires are an example. Continental is also doing it now-a-days on their EV models)
   
   source
   

Tire is a complex automotive component which has quite a lot of engineering behind it. So the above are just some indicative things. There can be also a cross-relation to each of these parameters for eg. the tread compounds affect the tire noise as well as the torque handling. So there is always tradeoff between these different parameters.

Every tire manufacturer worth their salt is having atleast a few models specific to EVs in their line-up. Just like the EV market is now at early stages in India, there is probably also not much EV specific tires in Indian market. But soon they will catch up as demand rises. Trivia: Vredestein,a Dutch tire company, which is now owned by the Indian Apollo tyres and they do have EV specific tires in their lineup.

[Shresth_EV]

Originally Posted by rajiv.agrawal

And what about the other parts, like batteries, motors etc etc., are they indigenous or partly imported?

The Nexon EV uses imported CELLS but the PACK is assembled in India (along with the BMS and cooling systems)

The cells are sourced from GX Gotion (US based, saw this info in the Nexon EV thread)

A pack has several (thousands) of these cells connecting in a certain arrangement of series and parallel connections to achieve the necessary output voltage (since nominal voltage of most lithium cells is 3.7-4V) but motor runs in excess of 300V.

The motor supplier, is so far not known, at least to me, but I did read that even Hyundai used Bosch electric motors. While Tata does say it’s their own module but so does Hyundai on their website. I’d guess it’s either of Siemens or Bosch.

[TrackDay]

Originally Posted by rajiv.agrawal

Are they the regular petrol/diesel saloon tyres meant for asphalt roads or are they specialized/tougher akin to off road tyres? If yes, then is it because EVs have far more torque than such regular saloons?

They would definitely be different due to the heavier weight of electric cars in general and also to handle the instantaneous power. They also have to be quiet since there is no noise coming due to the absence of an ICE engine. Here is a video about a tyre dealer's take on electric vehicles tyres. This one is oriented around Teslas, but it should pretty much paint a good idea about what to expect regarding tyres during an EV ownership.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P3IN4i9Qs4

I would like to know if anyone has gone with normal tyres due to an emergency situation ? Would be an interesting topic since the special tyres are less likely to be available everywhere. Also what about special applications such as snow ?

[rajiv.agrawal]

Thank you SO much. You guys are awesome. Thanks once again.

[Ford_Prefect]

My Kia Niro EV came with Michelin Energy Saver A/S. Far as I know, these are low rolling resistance tires.

[reihem]

See this link here.

I’m a Kona owner and much like the authors of the post linked above I have toyed with the idea of changing my tyres to a set which can grip the road better and put all that torque to use. Ultimately I have stuck with the original set due to their quiet ride and contribution to efficiency. While many have an issue with the ride comfort, I have no problems in that department; maybe the routes I frequent are smooth ?

[sarav100]

While we’re at this topic, I’d like to share a worthwhile post from hankook tyres related to it: Hankook EV Tyres post

[carthick1000]

Pirelli launches P Zero focussed on Electric and Hybrid vehicles. Lucid Air Sedan will be the flag bearer for these line up of tyres. OT: Wrote about Lucid air here (Lucid Air electric sedan - Highly innovative & a cut above the rest) if you want to check out.

Pirelli presents its very first high load index tyre: a new type of tyre dedicated primarily to electric or hybrid cars and SUVs. Made to support the weight of new vehicles equipped with batteries, the tyre is perfect for heavier vehicles, such as electric cars. It is designed to provide low rolling resistance as well as a high level of driving comfort.

The new tyre features the HL (high load) marking on the sidewall as an indication of its capabilities and is able to support 20% more weight compared to a standard tyre and 6-9% more weight than an extra load XL tyre of the same size.

The Lucid Air will be the very first car to use the new Pirelli HL tyres. The Pirelli P ZERO for this model will be available in the following sizes: HL 245/35R21 99 Y XL on the front axle and HL 265/ 35R21 103 Y XL on the rear axle, specifically designed for the new luxury electric sedan produced and sold later this year in the United States of America. In accordance with Pirelli's ‘Perfect Fit’ strategy, the P ZERO tyres for the Lucid Air have been jointly developed with the car manufacturer, to fully meet the required performance standards. To identify the specific design for the American manufacturer, these tyres will be marked ‘LM1’ on the sidewalls.

These bespoke P ZEROs will also benefit from Pirelli Elect and PNCS technologies. Pirelli Elect offers low rolling resistance to increase range, reduced rolling noise to maximise comfort, and a compound engineered for grip to respond to the instant torque demands of the electric transmission, as well as a structure capable of supporting the weight of the battery pack. To further increase interior comfort, PNCS technology which consists of a special sound-absorbing material placed within the tyre, helps deaden air vibrations that would otherwise be transmitted to the inside of the vehicle. The benefits of this system can be felt both inside and outside the car.

source

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by TrackDay

I would like to know if anyone has gone with normal tyres due to an emergency situation ? Would be an interesting topic since the special tyres are less likely to be available everywhere. Also what about special applications such as snow ?

I have replaced the tires on my Model3 two times in the last 3.5 years. What matters here is the tire size, load and speed rating. Tire description will have Tire size followed by load and speed rating - something like 95S

Load rating of 95 is 1500lbs that would mean it can handle a car of upto 6000lbs easily (including my car). If a shop sells you a tire that is 95+ you are fine. Speed rating is also on the same lines in alphabetic order. Speed rating of S= 112mph max speed, but anything above letter S would serve well for my car. I get something more than S, but I never go over 85mph (which is already ticket worthy)

I have been buying tires online from 10+ years now. Tirerack.com. They ship to many installers near my home/work, I just pay installation charge pre-negotiated by tirerack. That said, these are the same tires installed on cars like BMW 3series with similar load rating needs. Tirerack also has user reviews and test reports for each tire type. You can get very specific tires.

Pirelli and Michelin have worked with Tesla to add a sound dampening layer (Tesla Foam Inserts) inside the tires, but not hundreds of other manufacturers. This is still a comfort thing. I went from Pirelli to Hankook, back to Michelin, I cant tell any difference in road Noise between them. That is just me, because I like my music loud. I would be fine with any tire that meets the size, speed and load rating. There is nothing EV specific about it.

[LeoRBK]

I drive an MG ZS EV. We have two MG BEV models for sale in UK the other being an MG5 estate.
MG5 estate comes with bridgestone ep422 plus 205/60 r16 96v
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bridgesto...-Tire/43075142
very hard to find here as this profile of tyre appears to be more popular in Americas here in Europe people prefer a lower profile. I know a gentleman who suffered a blow out struggled to find one as it was out of stock with MG UK. I suppose they will wait for it to be shipped form China...

For MG ZS EV these are,
215 / 50 R17 91W Michelin Primacy 3ST
which if I am not mistaken are the same as ones provided in India. These appear to be more readily available.
Both the tyres are common across ICE and EVs which leads me to believe that special EV tyres are not always necessary.
You will find that budget EVs like MG re-use the parts bin with ICE car to keep costs down.
So, in summary we have two examples here one an easily available tyre with EV and another a rather difficult to find tyre but that does not necessarily result from the EV needing special tyres. In these cases the manufacturer choose them to keep costs down.

If you were to look at performance EVs like Tesla, they ride on performance tyres as expected.
If you were to ever consider swapping current set of tyres for a different one, do make sure that the new sets are rated at a payload capacity(per wheel) more than the current.

Hope that helps

[ADI7YAK]

Originally Posted by LeoRBK

For MG ZS EV these are,
215 / 50 R17 91W Michelin Primacy 3ST
which if I am not mistaken are the same as ones provided in India. These appear to be more readily available.

Seems like Hyundai had also begun shipping Konas with Michelin Primacy tyres in the European region. My Kona's Nexen tyres are also due for replacement in a few days time and I'll be going forward with Michelin Primacy 4ST (?) as there seems to be no EV specific tyre option available in India just yet.

Link to the article : https://insideevs.com/news/405140/hy...c-range-boost/