Your Guide to Buying EV Tyres

As more and more motorists choose to invest in electric vehicles (EVs), we wanted to highlight the main points to consider when it comes time to buy new EV tyres.

Our guide takes you through key points to consider, to ensure you choose the right tyres for you and your vehicle.

When should I change my tyres?

1. When your tyres near their legal tyre tread limit

The current legal limit for car tyre tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm (across 75% of the tyre). Not only will a tyre become unsafe to use at 1.6mm, but there are also legal and financial implications.

Driving on illegal tyres can lead to a fine of up to £2,500 and the chance of three penalty points on your driving license.

Discover how to test your tread depth with a 20p

2. Your tyres are damaged

Tyre damage can happen when they suffer impact with solid objects, sharp items, or road defects – such as potholes.

You should aim to give your tyres a visual inspection on a regular basis to check for any potential tyre damage.

Find out how looking after your tyres can save you money.

3. Your tyres show signs of abnormal wear

When a tyre does not wear in a uniformed way across the tread, this can lead to performance issues and safety concerns.

The most common signs that a tyre is wearing abnormally is for patches of lower tread to appear in either the central area of the tyre or around the tyre’s edges.

Discover the dangers of part worn tyre.

Choosing the right tyres: what to consider

So, you need new EV tyres, but, are not sure where to start. What type? What brand? What model? There are many questions to answer.

To help you come to a decision, there are four key factors to consider when making your choice:

1. The weather and climate of where you live

The UK has to deal with many different weather conditions from one part of the country to the other.

If, for example, you live in a part of the country which experiences a lot of rainfall then paying particular attention to the tyres which have a good tyre label score for ‘wet grip’ could be a good place to start.

2. The type of vehicle you own

Cars, vans, 4x4s, SUVs and campervans require specific tyres – built to meet the unique requirements of that vehicle type.

Manufacturers on both sides of the coin (vehicle and tyre) have spent many years working together to ensure that tyres fitted to vehicles work the way they are supposed to for that vehicle type.

Where possible Blackcircles.com lists the type of vehicle a tyre was developed for in a product listing, or search results page. Making it easy for you to spot a tyre developed for your vehicle.

3. Your driving style

No matter your driving preference, it takes all sorts to make this world go round, each tyre on Blackcircles.com comes with a brief overview and some information on key features that they tyre has been constructed for.

This gives you the chance to determine which tyres suits your style.

4. Your budget

When buying new tyres, your budget has a lot of say in the tyres.

We understand that money is a major factor in choosing a tyre and the temptation may be to go with as cheap a tyre as possible. However, tyres are the only contact your vehicle has with the road.

Rather than thinking: How cheap I can get tyres? Consider: How much can I afford?

Should EVs use specific EV tyres?

The simple answer is yes.

An electric vehicle come with their own unique requirements. There are several factors which EVs which are essentially unique to this type of vehicle. These include, but are not limited to the following:

• EVs are heavier than standard vehicles – due to the battery, and the protective structure that surrounds it. As such they often require tyres with reinforced tyre walls to successfully perform over the tyre’s intended lifespan.
• Due to their quieter nature, the noise and ride comfort levels of a tyre are much more noticeable with an EV. The noise rating on the EU tyre label is a good indicator of what you can expect from a tyre.
• Rolling resistance is perhaps not unique to electric vehicles, but it is extremely important. To ensure that the driving range of the car is kept at an optimum – and you are not required to charge the battery more often than is needed.
• The torque of an electric vehicle means that a lot more stresses are put upon the tyres. Tyres which have been developed for use on EVs, have been constructed with special compound blends to ensure the tyre does not wear out too quickly.

Can EVs use standard tyres?

It is possible to use standard car tyres with an EV, yes. However, we would not recommend it.

As we covered in the previous section, EV tyres need to deal with different forces. Tyres which have not been specifically designed for us on an electric vehicle tend to suffer performance wise – and their longevity is often compromised.

The market for EV tyres is continuing to grow – and the options available becoming greater. However, if you are only able to source regular tyres for your EV it is very important that you fit tyres with weight load and speed ratings suitable for your car.

Tyre reviews

One sure way to get a good understanding of whether or not a tyre is suitable for your car is to read what other motorists thought of that tyre.

At Blackcircles.com we have over 255,000 tyre reviews, creating a vast amount of real feedback from motorists who have shared just what they think of their tyres.

By being able to read genuine tyre reviews based on your vehicle and driving needs – it can give you a much better understanding of what to expect from a tyre.

You need not take a product description at its word, instead glean some insightful information from your peers.

Buying EV tyres online: making things simple

At Blackcircles.com you can easily choose the size and make of the tyres you want and then purchase them securely from the comfort of your home.

Blackcircles.com has been at the forefront of the online tyre retail sector for almost two decades and has spent a lot of time honing a specially designed search results page – showing customers all the tyres available for their vehicle.