Over the past few months, you may have seen some rather alarmist articles claiming that the adoption rate of EVs is slowing down, or even declining. It's true that this is happening in various parts of North America right now, but in my opinion, it's the reasons behind this phenomenon that are important to understand. There are obviously a host of political, economic and ecological factors at play when it comes to the electrification of transport. These subjects are far from my expertise, so let me stick to a topicI know well: tires!
Indeed, as you've no doubt noticed on our blog, there are more and more tires specially designed for electrics, but are these products really necessary? Are regular tires such a hassle for EV drivers? Yes, they are. At least, that's what Ashley Edgar, director of automotive supplier evaluation and alternative mobility at J.D. Power, told Yahoo! Finance in a recent interview. In fact, it was this interview that inspired me to write this article, since the figures mentioned are rather surprising...
EV owners, lower your expectations!
The figures mentioned by Ashley Edgar don't come out of nowhere. Rather, they're taken from a study conducted by her firm that looks into the satisfaction of vehicle owners, whether ICE or electric, in relation to their expectations when buying. Shockingly, the survey revealed that the difference between owner expectations and reality can vary enormously. When it comes to the lifespan of the tire, for example, the difference is over 50%!
But can we really blame the consumer in this situation? Perhaps you, regular readers of this blog, already know that driving an EV puts a particular strain on the rubber of your tires. However, it seems that not everyone does, not least because it's not something that manufacturers and dealers like to put forward. This lack of communication is even more palpable for brands like Tesla, which have few, if any, service outlets in some regions.
A real problem?
So it seems that the real problem lies not in the mechanics or manufacture of tires, but in communication between manufacturer and customer. The factors that influence tire longevity - torque and vehicle weight, for example - are difficult to correct. If you want to buy a 100% electric model, you'll have to take into account this difference with combustion vehicles and buy a tire adapted to the situation.
Fortunately, there are a growing number of tire models designed specifically for electric vehicules. It seems that every month, a different manufacturer introduces a new, more efficient, greener and more resistant version. At the time of writing, Kumho has just launched its Majesty 9 Solus TA91 EV and Crugen HP71 EV! If you choose your next tire wisely and manage your expectations, maybe you can be more satisfied than the people in the survey…
