Automobile Desk – EV Tires Wear Out Faster: The craze for electric vehicles is increasing very fast in India. Amidst rising fuel prices, people are adopting EV as a better and economical option. It is generally believed that the cost of running an electric car is much less than that of petrol-diesel vehicles. There is neither the hassle of expensive fuel nor the hassle of frequent servicing of engine oil or complex mechanical parts. But amidst this savings, there is also a hidden expense which most buyers do not pay attention to initially. This is the cost of car tyres.
Automobile experts and tire manufacturers estimate that the tires of electric cars wear out 20 to 30 percent faster than conventional vehicles. This problem becomes even more serious considering the nature of Indian roads. Potholes, bad patches, high speed breakers and frequent traffic jams put extra stress on the tyres. In such a situation, if you are driving vehicles like Tata Nexon EV, MG Windsor or Hyundai Ioniq 5, then ignoring the tires can be heavy on your pocket.
There are mainly three major technical reasons behind the rapid wear of tires in electric cars:
Heavy battery weight: The heaviest part of an EV is its battery pack. Due to this extra weight the total weight of the vehicle increases significantly. This heavy weight of the car presses the tires downwards all the time, due to which the tires have to endure more friction while taking turns, braking and accelerating.
Instant torque shock: In conventional petrol or diesel vehicles, the speed increases slowly, but the electric motor immediately transfers the entire torque (power) to the tires as soon as you press the accelerator. Moving the vehicle rapidly as soon as the signal opens or suddenly picking up speed on the highway creates direct friction on the tyres, due to which the rubber peels off rapidly.
Regenerative braking system: To save energy in EVs, regenerative braking is used, where along with the brake pads, the motor also slows down the speed of the vehicle. In this process the wheels have to slow down suddenly, which creates double pressure on the tyres.
The cost of changing a set of four tires is quite high in the Indian market. While the cost of Nexon EV tires ranges between Rs 14,000 to Rs 24,000, in premium category cars this cost can go up to Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000.
To extend the life of tires and avoid this extra expense, EV owners should change some basic habits. Check the air pressure i.e. tire pressure every week. Rotate the tires every 10,000 kilometers so that all four wheels wear equally. Apart from this, accelerate the car smoothly instead of accelerating suddenly. Whenever changing tyres, always select tires with the company recommended 'load rating' (XL or HL).
