Electric car tire wear is 'the new oil change' as Michelin tops satisfaction ranks

Companies like Vredestein with its Quatrac Pro EV model are now offering tires made specifically for electric cars.

Michelin also has a number of "EV-ready" tire models in its roster, like the Pilot Sport EV Summer tire, reflecting the different needs of customers with electric vehicles.

According to the fresh J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, EV owners are largely surprised by the faster wearing of their tires. As one dealer puts it, EV tires are "the new oil change," referring to the regular service tax that ICE vehicle owners are intimately familiar with.

The weight of electric cars' battery packs has now helped US vehicles become the heaviest on record, and EVs also offer loads of torque at any speed. The combination of these factors makes their tires wear out quicker, so manufacturers are coming up with specific solutions.

The aforementioned Quatrac Pro EV tire, for instance, carries an "optimized blend of fourth-generation polymers and 'smart' silica in the tread" for a lighter structure with improved rolling resistance, slimmer sidewalls, and lighter belt. Vredestein made the longitudinal grooves steeper and widened the outside shoulder to accommodate the increased cornering load of EVs, and resist deformation.

Michelin, which beat Goodyear and Continental in the 2024 tire satisfaction survey, also did something similar for its "EV-ready" tires. "High efficiency rubber compound on the shoulders reduces energy consumption for longer ranges and delivers long-lasting mileage despite the heavier weight of high performance electric vehicles," tips Michelin.

According to Ashley Edgar, a benchmarking director at J.D. Power, "the new oil change" of tire rotations and swaps needs to be explained better to EV owners. It turned out that they are now predominantly concerned with potential software issues, rather than tire wear. This also presents an opportunity for tire makers to stand out, they added: 

The widening satisfaction gap between EVs and gas-powered vehicles highlight an opportunity for tire manufacturers and automakers to educate EV owners on the differences in performance. Additionally, because of the inherit conflict of maximizing vehicle range and optimizing tire wear for EVs, tire manufacturers and automakers need to work together to overcome the challenge without completely sacrificing tire performance in other areas, especially as the EV market continues to increase.

Get the Goodyear ElectricDrive all-season EV tire on Amazon