Choose the right tyres for electric mobility
The right tyres for a better experience
Acceleration, braking, torque, noise level... driving an electric car offers a brand-new experience. A simple test-drive and you’ll feel like you’re on a flying carpet, with only the sound of the wind and the tyres in the background. A champion of sustainable mobility for both road and track, Michelin has long been exploring electric vehicle tyre technologies, notably via its involvement in Formula E, which it has been a partner of since its first season in 2014 until 2022. High-level electric competition has served as its development and technology-transfer laboratory, particularly in the field of energy efficiency to offer the best possible tyres suited to electric cars.
The challenge of battery weight
The future of electric mobility depends in part on battery range, which is a major factor driving public adoption. Range can be extended by opting for a more energy-efficient driving style and using regenerative braking whenever possible. But that is not enough. Car manufacturers are investing heavily in Research & Development programs to create ever more efficient and energy-dense batteries but meanwhile the batteries’ size tend to increase and vehicles are becoming heavier.
Fortunately, Michelin's extensive experience in developing high-performance tyres made it possible to meet this challenge for electric mobility. And we are proud to say that all our current ranges are perfectly adapted to the electric vehicles requirements. Tyre choice will depend on your car, your usage and the climatic conditions in which you live and the specific performance you expect.
Improved longevity and rolling resistance
As previously explained, all our tyres are suitable for EV given Michelin's experience over the past decades to improve rolling resistance. This performance is taken into account in all our ranges but to be more concrete below two examples can be highlighted:
- The MICHELIN e.Primacy, for example, with its high elasticity elastomer, delivers excellent performance in the EV category in terms of both longevity and rolling resistance. It increases the range of an electric car by 7%(1), equivalent to an extra 30 km on a 400 km trip. Which can prove very useful at the end of a trip when one needs to reach the nearest charging station.
- The MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV designed for sportier driving, offers extremely low rolling resistance thanks to its GreenPower Compound technology, resulting in a 60 Km(2) range increase. For drivers wanting to make the most of their vehicle’s potential, this energy efficiency improvement can really make a difference.
Tyres adapted to your climatic conditions
Another important factor in choosing your tyres is the climatic conditions in which you live. Depending on whether your winters are severe or mild, some tyre ranges will meet your needs better than others.
To help you make the right choice, we've produced this visual guide.
Are you a sporty driver?
If so, MICHELIN Pilot Sport family tyres might be a good choice for you.
It is has been specially designed for sporty driving and developed leveraging Michelin’s experience in Formula E (from 2014 to 2022). It is capable of handling the extreme acceleration and mass distribution typical of these vehicles. Suitable for sporty driving when tyres are worked hard, it provides optimal grip in both dry and wet conditions. Thus, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport family tyres deliver lots of driving fun while guaranteeing performance and safety.
Tyres recommended by your car manufacturer
An OE (Original Equipment) marking on your tyre indicates that it has been approved by your vehicle manufacturer for fitting as standard.
Choosing the same tyre as original equipment is therefore a sensible way of equipping your vehicle, since this tyre is an ideal candidate for guaranteeing good road handling, optimum comfort and optimised rolling resistance.
(1) Greater range and lower CO2 emissions – New, the MICHELIN e-PRIMACY tyre offers an average of 2kg/t less rolling resistance than the competition, equivalent to a fuel saving of up to 0.21L/100km. This corresponds to a 5g reduction in CO2 emissions for a VW Golf 7 1.5 TSI, and a 7% increase in range for a VW e.Golf. Rolling resistance tests, conducted on machine by Applus Idiada on Michelin’s request, in June (new tyre) and August (2 mm buffed) 2020, on dimension 205/55 R16 91V.
(2) Better range for high-performance electric vehicles –In-house rolling resistance study, carried out in 10/2020, on dimension 255/45 R19, comparing the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV tyre (6.47kg/t) to the MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyre (8.8kg/t). For an electric vehicle weighing 2,151kg, with a range of 540km, this difference of 2.3kg/t results in a range increase of over 60km, equivalent to a 10% improvement over the original range.