Have A Powerful EV Like Mahindra XEV 9e/BE6/Tata Harrier.EV? Drive Smoothly Else You'll Spend A Lot!
When the electric vehicle (EV) revolution began, they were pitched as low-cost, energy-efficient mobility solutions. The landscape has now evolved in such a way EVs represent power and performance as well. The luxury and performance electric vehicle spaces have opened up quite well. We see more manufacturers launching new products into this sector. The entry price point to performance-centric EVs has come down over the years. The Mahindra BE6, which has an ex-showroom price of Rs 18.9 lakh, has 228hp and 380 Nm on offer. This is definitely good news for enthusiasts. There is, however, a less pleasant side to this that not many talk about. The tyre life on performance-centric EVs is much lower than that on ICE vehicles, which deliver similar levels of performance.
TyreGuru, an expert in this field, has now shed more light on the details of this. He says that he had shared a video saying that the 'EV tyres are expensive and offer lower lives compared to those on petrol/diesel vehicles.' He received a lot of criticism for the observation. In the new video, he says that the aforementioned claim applies just to premium and performance EV tyres alone.
He goes on to say that most premium electric vehicles come with massive tyres- 19-inchers or above. Replacing these will be expensive. Electric vehicles use low-resistance tyres, which are generally more expensive than normal ones. These are designed to withstand the huge torque produced by electric vehicles.
The Instagrammer then explains his perspective with an example. The IONIQ 5 was launched in 2023 as a performance EV. The latest iteration uses 20-inch wheels with 255/45 tyres. He says that these will cost more than 1.6 lakh rupees for a set of four.
TyreGuru further explains that these tyres will last for 15,000-20,000 kilometres. This is, in fact, less than the average tyre life of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. Spending 1.6 lakh for 15,000 km translates to an average cost of Rs 10 per kilometre. He concludes by underlining the fact that (premium) EVs might have a low running / fuel cost, but won't be easy on the pocket with their tyre costs!
Previously, another user had also shared a video online, detailing the tyre costs for IONIQ 5. He said that Michelin tyres for the vehicle cost Rs 58,000 each. As these were beyond his budget, he opted for regular non-EV tyres, which were more affordable. The EV killed these! The non-EV tyres, he says, lasted for just 4000 kilometres.
Why Do EV Tyres Wear So Quickly?
One of the reasons for the quick wear is the massive torque and its instant delivery. If we aren't rational with throttle inputs, the torque will take a toll on tyre health.
Another reason is the vehicle weight. EVs are much heavier than ICE vehicles. This added weight puts much pressure on the tyres, eventually leading to their early wear.
Driver behaviour is the next big reason. Having plenty on torque at your toes is indeed tempting. But, if you give in and do 'full sends' all the time, the tyres won't last. They wear drastically with each squeal and spin.
Here's a quick example. Tata Motors recently conducted the first QUAD day- an experiential event for potential buyers and the media to get a taste of the Harrier.EV. The first edition was held at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC). The team at Tata Motors had organized a few high-speed track sorties for the media, which could be experienced from the co-driver's seat. There was also an off-road course set up.
Some time into the event, we found the Harrier.EV's tyres to have taken heavy wear. The vehicle had just around 1500 km on its odometer and the tyres were half gone. Aggressive and unforgiving driver behaviour was to be blamed for this.
It should also be noted that the Harrier.EV makes much more torque than the IONIQ 5's 350 Nm. It has 504 Nm on offer. Now, imagine the stress on the tyres when driven hard...
Bottomline
The EV owner/driver should be educated on the factors affecting tyre life. They should adopt proper and efficient driving practices to maximize the tyre life. That said, the theory of expensive tyres don't really apply to budget EVs like Tiago EV or Comet. The tyres on these, are reported to offer decent lives.