With the popularity of electric vehicles on a steady rise, tire makers, including Hankook, are developing tires that are specifically engineered to enhance the performance of electric vehicles. But the big question is – how exactly does an EV tire differ from a regular tire?
First, since electric vehicles don’t have an engine, they create virtually no noise when being driven. Therefore, one of the most important requirements of an EV tire is that it reduce as much road noise as possible in order to maintain the quietness of the ride. Noise reduction can be achieved through design and manufacturing techniques such as specialized tread patterns and sound-absorbing rubber compounds.
In addition to the noise factor, EV tires are also built to withstand heavier loads since the body of an electric vehicle is 10 to 20 percent heavier than traditional vehicles due to their heavy batteries. And since electric vehicles have strong initial acceleration and high output, EV tires must also have stronger traction, steering and braking performance compared to non-EV tires.
Another important factor in the development of EV tires is reducing rolling resistance. Rolling resistance refers to the force resisting the motion when a tire rolls on a surface. Essentially, lower rolling resistance leads to less energy lost, therefore increasing battery efficiency. During the manufacturing process, a number of different techniques can be used to achieve low rolling resistance, such as the type of rubber compound used and applying rigid designs patterns, tire profiles, and structures.
Can an electric vehicle be outfitted with non-EV tires?
EV tires can technically use regular tires, and vice versa, but this is not recommended as this could negatively affect the performance and comfort of the driving experience. For example, since EV tires are built to withstand heavier weight, putting regular tires on an EV might cause the tires to wear more quickly. Additionally, EV tires are specifically designed to provide a quiet ride for electric vehicles, so regular tires would not provide the same level of quietness, or the same levels of low rolling resistance to optimize battery life.
As an industry leader in technology, and as automotive technology continues to evolve, Hankook Tire is committed to investing in R&D to develop state-of-the-art products such as the Kinergy AS EV and Ventus S1 evo 3 EV to be outfitted on the world’s leading electric vehicles.
