New tyre for EVs

Goodyear has a new tyre for electric vehicles to reduce wear from powerful instant torque.

One of the world’s largest tyre companies, Goodyear unveiled its “EfficientGrip Performance with Electric Drive Technology” tyre at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show running until March 18.

It’s a prototype tyre for the growing EV market that will be on European roads by 2019.

Goodyear says its testing reveals traditional tyres can wear out up to 30% faster on EVs due to the powerful, instant torque from electric motors and the additional vehicle weight from heavy battery packs.

“The combination of increasing regulations to reduce emissions, the desire to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and rapid gains in battery technology is creating an ideal environment for electric vehicles,” Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa president Chris Delaney says. “We are working with automakers to introduce our Electric Drive Technology next year designed to address the unique performance requirements of this growing vehicle segment.”

That includes reducing road noise from tyres because of the quietness of EVs, providing comfort, and reducing energy consumption which therefore increases range.

The tread’s thinner sipes (small channels) allow for a larger rubber contact patch on the road surface than traditional radial grooves, Goodyear says. With more rubber on the road, the tyre can better cope with high levels of torque while maintaining high performance in wet conditions. The tread design also prevents sound waves from entering its grooves, reducing interior and exterior tyre noise.

The tyre cavity shape supports the additional weight of batteries and the tread compound provides ultra-low rolling resistance to extend the vehicle range. In addition, the sidewall has been designed to reduce aerodynamic drag and the profile yields less rotating mass, resulting in reduced energy consumption.

Visit goodyear.eu for more information.