Can the Right Tires Make Your EV More Energy Efficient?

Most discussion about the efficiency of electric vehicles revolves around two things: the battery and its ability to undergo fast charging. Just like their gas-powered counterparts, however, there are some other factors at play as well, including the type of tires on a given vehicle. The right tires can improve a car or truck’s miles per gallon, and it turns out the same thing is true for electric vehicles.

That, at least, is the thinking behind a new line of tires from Michelin. In announcing the Primacy 5 energy and Pilot Sport 5 energy tires, Michelin executive committee member Jean-Claude Pats cited “optimizing electric vehicle range” as one of the goals behind both types of tires. Michelin went on to cite data indicating that the Primacy 5 energy tires’ A rating would result in increased range compared to C-rated tires when used on an electric vehicle.

Michelin Four and Two-Wheel Development Director Cédric Montezin also pointed to an increased focus in sustainability for both types of tires. “These innovations fully illustrate our ambition: offer tires that are ever more efficient, safer and more sustainable, for all motorization types. They also show that innovation can speed up the transition to cleaner mobility without ever giving up on driving pleasure,” Montezin said in a statement.

These METL Bike Tires Literally Use Space-Age Technology

A new airless bike tire called METL promises to never go flat and last a lifetime. It uses a material developed by NASA.

As for the sustainability mentioned above, Michelin shared their goals of having their tires be made using at least 40% sustainable materials by 2030; by 2050, their goal is to have all of their tires be made using sustainable materials. Another eleement of this, the company shared, is keeping tires on the road longer. Finding ways to recycle old tires is an ongoing challenge, but some local governments — including Atlanta’s — have used recycled tires to rebuild roads. It’s a full-circle moment if ever there was one.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…