Whilst there are now 500,000 electric cars in the UK, just 8% of drivers understand how their tyres work…
Unaware of EV Tyres
New research, conducted by Bridgestone, suggests that there’s widespread ignorance surrounding EV-specific tyres. This is despite there now being 500,000 electric vehicles on the nation’s road network. In a survey of 2,000 motorists, just 8% were found to understand the differences between standard tyres and those used by electric vehicles. Nevertheless, 47% said that they intended to switch in order to save money on fuel. Some 56% said they were attracted to the environmental benefits of an EV, too.
As it stands, electric vehicles are much heavier than conventional ICE vehicles. This is largely a product of their batteries. Ultimately, this extra weight places additional strain on their tyres. As a result, they’re typically designed with this extra weight in mind, preventing them from wearing too quickly.
‘Huge Differences’
Andrea Manenti, Bridgestone’s north region vice president, commented on the research. She said, “what’s clear from our survey is that very few motorists are aware that there are tyres specifically designed for electric vehicles and even fewer know the benefits of them. While 47% want to change to save on fuel, many of them run the risk of eating into these savings by making more trips to the garage replace their tyres over a longer term”.
She continued, “all tyres might be black and round, but there are huge differences that very few motorists are aware of, particularly when it comes to EVs. Bridgestone is developing a growing number of original tyre fitments specifically engineered for this purpose”.
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