As more electric commercial trucks take to the road, their inherently higher torque and different vehicle dynamics have raised questions about whether new, specialized tire designs are needed for those vehicles.
“Due to regenerative braking on EVs, their tires need tread that balance wear and rolling resistance,” Shaun Uys, VP and USA market manager for commercial vehicle tires at Continental Tire, said. “When vehicles have an increase in torque, the tire tread must have proper traction as well.”
“Tires used on electric vehicles need to contend with heavier loads and higher torque, making heat distribution and scrub resistance important,” Valentino Faraone III, regional VP and new product development manager at Double Coin, said. “Each of these is equally important to positively impact the tire’s performance and longevity.”
“Electric vehicles require that tires handle more weight and higher torque than tires on vehicles with internal combustion engines,” Chris Queen, commercial technology director, Goodyear North America, explained. “However, regardless of drivetrain, tire features and benefits should be engineered to increase tread and casing life and, ultimately, efficiency for fleets.”
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Generally heavier than their traditional counterparts means rolling resistance plays a more critical role in EV range, Joe Hughes, urban product category manager at Michelin North America, said. “Breakthroughs in tread pattern design and less apparent advancements in material development have been vital in addressing these challenges.”
“EVs are known for their quiet operation, so moving forward, tire noise performance will become a more critical design factor,” he added. “Tire development for the EV market will also depend on demand for additional load-carrying capacity.”
Currently, Continental’s Uys said that EV tire evaluations are focused on balancing mileage and rolling resistance. “That balance will come from both tread design and compounding,” he explained. “EVs are constantly changing, and their tires will need to adapt to those changes.”
With the EV truck segment evolving and expected to continue growing, tires need to be able to perform in a variety of changing environments, noted Chris Queen. “More experience with EVs and their unique needs will continue to push tire manufacturers to bring technologically advanced products to market,” he said.
“As we move more toward EVs, we need to continue to look at ways to improve tire longevity and also casing durability for retreading purposes,” Double Coin’s Faraone said. “While improving critical features like scrub and heat dissipation to lower total cost per mile, manufacturers will also be continuing to find ways to use more environmentally friendly ingredients in EV tire production.”
